


Love, Dogs

by EeveeGurl



Series: Love, Dogs [1]
Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Anal Finger, Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, Brief Grinding, Chickens, Comas - Freeform, Cows, Crying, Dancing, Daryl Crying, Daryl In Love, Daryl freaking out, Daryl reflecting, Deep Throating, Dogs, Drinking, F/F, F/M, Farm Animals/Ranch Animals, Fighting, Fires, Flirting, Foaling, Grinding, Gun Fire, Gunshot Wounds, Horses, Hospitals, Hugging, Kissing, Lucille the bat, M/M, Maggie's pregnant, Merle tried being a good big brother, Nurses, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Death of a Character, Paul in love, Paul likes to dance, Paul makes himself at home in Daryl's house, Paul's a little shit, Paul's cooking, Paul's pissed, Piercings, Pigs, Pride, Punching, Rancher Daryl, Romance, Shy Daryl, Swearing, Tattoos, Veterinarian Paul, aka mare gives birth to a foal, bed sharing, cumming in pants, dog attack, injured horse, no animals are killed, no animals were harmed in the making of this fanfic, non descriptive child birth, past fighting, past homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-10-25 09:16:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 40,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17722406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EeveeGurl/pseuds/EeveeGurl
Summary: Paul got a job offer at a clinic in Macon, Georgia, so he and his boyfriend traveled from California to Georgia by car. Only a day away from Macon, Paul and his boyfriend get in a fight and Paul is kicked out of the car by his boyfriend and left on the side of the road. In the hot weather, he walked along the highway until he reached a Gander Mountain. With no phone service, he can't order an uber. When he spots a handsome cowboy in the parking lot, he decides to take a chance and follows him in.





	1. Ch. 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is a bit short, but I promise I'll make it up to you in Ch. 2.

Paul sighed as he flopped down on his worn suitcase and rubbed his face. This was the worst. How the hell had this happened? He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a hair band and pulled his long hair back into a messy bun. It was hot out and his boyfriend had kicked him out of the car in the middle of this God forsaken place all because they’d argued over how to decorate the house they’d just bought together. 

That’s what he gets for being in a committed relationship, he supposed. 

Now they were broken up and his name was still on the deed of the house. What the hell was he going to do? He didn’t even know where he was. Somewhere in the middle of Georgia? After sitting for a moment, he got up and picked up his suitcase. All he had in it were some clothes and his vet kit, the rest of his belongings were in the back of his now ex-boyfriend’s truck. He started walking down the road in hopes of running into a road sign. 

He must have walked for an hour before he finally came upon a sign. He was on Interstate 75 two hours from Macon, Georgia and there was a Gander Mountain ten minutes away. He sighed and started walking. On foot it took him twenty minutes, but he managed to get to the Gander Mountain and stopped just near the door. At least he had money and his phone. He could call an uber or cab to take him to Macon. 

He put his suitcase down and leaned against the red brick wall. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, stuffing his other hand in the back of his jeans. He scrolled through his contacts until he found the uber number he used, only to discover the cell service was bad and he couldn’t even make the call. He groaned and rested his head back against the wall. He always had the worst luck and he blamed his non existent parents for it. 

He glanced around the empty parking lot, trying to find a good soul who might be willing to give him a ride to Macon. He spotted a tall man in worn, dirty blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt walking across the parking lot from a beat up, old pick up. The man’s long, dark hair was covered by a dark brown old cowboy hat and the old brown cowboy boots seemed to make his legs look even longer. As the man got closer, Paul could see the light goatee around his lips with a mole in the corner. 

Paul bit his bottom lip. No man was allowed to look that good in a plain t-shirt and torn jeans. He picked his suitcase up and followed the man into the building. It was nice and cool inside and he release a heavy sigh of relief. He left his suitcase with the lady at the register who was happy to watch it while he walked around. He wasn’t intending to buy anything, he just needed a chance to think about what to do and debate if he should ask the handsome cowboy for help.

He found the man over in the hunting department in the aisle for dog treats. He seemed to be unable to decide what was best. Paul took a deep breath and stepped down the aisle, pretending to be looking at collars. The man glanced over at him and Paul got a glimpse of steel blue eyes. He bit his bottom lip again. Why did the man look so perfect? He was just Paul’s type, which wasn’t always a good thing. Men who looked perfect were usually major assholes, like his ex-boyfriend. He took a deep breath and spoke up. 

“You shouldn’t go with the rawhide. There’s usually some kind of rubber, which is hard for dogs to digest.” He felt stupid for saying it. The man probably already knows that. When the cowboy remained silent, he spoke up again. “Making your own dog treats is really easy. I’ve actually been trying to open up an online store to sell my dog treats.”

“You own a lot of dogs?”

God, his voice was perfect, too. “Uh… no. I only have one.” He had a bulldog mastiff named Belle which was in the car when his boyfriend kicked him out. “I’d love to have more dogs. I’m a vet, so I love animals.”

That seemed to gain the other man’s attention. “A vet?” He turned to face Paul fully after putting down the antler chew he had in his hands. “You live around here?”

“No, I was only passing through. My boyfriend and I recently bought a house, but we got in a fight and he… pretty much kicked me out of the car and left me on the side of the road.” Now that he said it, it was like he realized it all actually happened. His chest began to hurt and his throat felt tight. He cleared his throat and looked down. “I was going to call a cab to take me to Macon, but the cell service out here is terrible.” He chuckled a bit. 

The cowboy stared at him, eyes scrutinizing and observing. He was silent a moment. “If you come look at my dog, I’ll take ya to Macon.”

The vet looked at him. “Your dog?”

“Yeah. He’s been sick the last day or two. Won’t eat or drink. Think he may have ate somethin last time we went huntin.” 

“And you thought buying him a treat would help?” Paul raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. 

“The treats were fer my other dogs. I got four dogs. We got a deal?”

The vet nodded. “Alright. Sure.” He smiled and followed the cowboy as he turned and walked a few aisles down, grabbing a few things here and there. “I’m Paul, by the way. Paul Rovia.”

“Daryl Dixon.” He didn’t say much else as he walked up to the register and paid for his chosen items. 

Paul grabbed his suitcase and followed Daryl out to the truck. He put it into the back, only to jump back when a foxhound jumped up on the edge. He smiled and chuckled. “Hello, there.” He reached up and scratched behind the dog’s ears. “Aren’t you a cutie?” One eye seemed permanently closed, making him coo a bit.

“That’s Lady. She was born with only one eye, so her mama wouldn’t feed her. I took her in from a neighbor and fed her. She ain’t a good huntin dog, but she’s a good bed warmer.” He put the bags in the back and Lady whined, tail wagging excitedly. “Be a good girl. We’re goin home.” 

Paul smiled and left the dog to get into the passenger’s side of the truck. Daryl started the truck and, for such an old truck, the engine purred like some of the newer cars Paul had been in. Daryl was silent as he pulled out of the parking lot and got onto the Interstate heading away from Macon. 

The ride to Daryl’s house seemed long. Just how far out did this man live? Paul was enjoying it, though. The truck had air conditioning and connected to Daryl’s phone so even while they were out in the middle of nowhere music was still playing. The man seemed into more classic rock, the type of music Paul’s ex boyfriend hated. So, there was a lot of songs Paul had never heard before but was enjoying. He was glad he’d packed his vet kit in his suitcase rather than in one of the boxes of his other stuff. Otherwise he might have been useless to the cowboy.

“So, you… live on a farm?”

The cowboy glanced at him. “Ranch. I primarily raise cows, pigs ‘n horses. I do have a few gardens, though. Like growin my own vegetables.”

Paul nodded. “So… do you do all this alone?” He hoped not. That seemed like a lot of work for one man. 

Daryl actually chuckled, lips quirking. “Fuck no. If I did, I wouldn’t sleep.” The vet chuckled nervously murmuring “of course not” to himself. “Nah, I’ve got a few live in ranch hands. They help feed the animals, keep the gardens clean and move the cattle from land to land.”

“How much land do you own?”

“Bout 75,000 acres. 500 heads of cattle, 700 pigs, 650 chickens, ‘m growin tomatos, carrots, potatoes, ‘n pumpkins in the fall. Got an apple farm on the east side. Got about 300 horses, most of them racin horses, retired ‘n current.” As the cowboy continued to talk, Paul’s eyes grew wider and wider. “Got four ranch and twelve stables to house my cattle and employees.”

“And… how many employees do you have?” Who the hell was this man to have so much land and animals? Daryl Dixon. He’d never heard of him. 

“Twenty five. Most of the land is unused, probably bout hundred or so acres is used. So they just take care of the animals and produce.” Daryl smiled a bit, looking proud of himself. The land had been decrepit and had hardly any animals when he’d inherited it fifteen years ago from his uncle. He’d worked from dawn til dusk for five years on his own building and rebuilding the barns, chicken coops, pens and fences. He’d started the gardens to make money and now he was one of the top ranchers this side of the US. To work for him meant you had a job for life. There was always work to be done on the ranch. 

“So… h-how did… you get this much land? Were you raised on it?” That was the only way most people came upon that much land. They were raised on it and took over for their parents.

Daryl hummed a bit. “Nah. I’d been on it once or twice. Was my great grandfather’s land. He’d been raised on the land and tried ta give it t’my grandaddy, but my grandaddy wanted nothin t’do with it, so it went t’my uncle who was a lazy drunkard jus like my daddy. When he died, I inherited the land. Took my fifteen years t’get it t’where it is now. The ranch is my baby ‘n so are all the animals on it. Inheriting the ranch is the best thang t’happen t’me. It gave me a meaning in life… gave me a reason t’live.” 

Paul smiled. “That’s amazing. You sound like a very lucky man.” He’d always dreamed of living on a ranch surrounded by animals and sexy cowboys. As a vet, he loved animals, especially ranch animals like horses, cows, pigs, and dogs. 

They passed a stone and wrought iron sign that said ‘Now Entering Dixon Estate.’ So they were now on Daryl’s land. He wondered how much longer until the reached the ranch. He watched out the windows as they passed cows on the left and horses on the left. He smiled brightly as some of the horses ran along the fence by the road. They seemed to recognize Daryl’s truck. After a few minutes they turned down a dirt road and another few minutes later passed through an iron gate with a large ‘D’ on it and pulled up to a two-story ranch house that had to have been at least two thousand square feet.

Daryl slowed the truck to a stop and put it in park. He got out and walked around to the back and lowered the tailgate. Lady jumped down and ran to the door and through the doggy door. The cowboy snorted and grabbed his bags and Paul’s suitcase. When Paul tried to say he could get his suitcase, the cowboy shook his head and climbed the steps of the porch and opened the door to go in. Paul smiled shyly. The man was such a gentleman. He followed him inside and looked around.

The ranch house was wide with an open floor concept and lined with windows. The windows were open, allowing the cool breeze to blow in and the sounds of the horses and chickens to fill the house. Paul smiled as he walked over to one of the windows to look outside. The horse corral was right in the backyard. Paul could see three black and white horses chasing each other around. He felt like he was in heaven.


	2. Ch. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul meets his first patient.

A soft ‘woof’ startled the vet and he turned around. An older looking brown and black bloodhound stared up at him with long ears and drooling lips. The dog let out another soft ‘woof’, but it was not threatening, more curious. Paul smiled and slowly knelt down. 

“Hello, there.” He held his hand out and the dog leaned forward to sniff and slobber all over his fingers. He didn’t mind. He was used to it. He chuckled, fingers tickling under the dog’s chin. He heard heavy footsteps and looked up to see Daryl walking in. “Is this the dog that’s sick?” He could tell just by looking at the blood hound.

Daryl nodded and knelt down behind the dog. “His name is Ol’ Red, ‘n yes I named ‘im after the country song Ol’ Red.”

Paul chuckled. “I wouldn’t know that song.”

“You fuckin kiddin me?” The cowboy didn’t look mad, more perplexed and amused. “Okay. ‘Fore I take ya to Macon, yer listenin to that song.”

“Yes, sir.” The vet laughed, hands petting along the dog’s neck and sides. “Such a sweetie.” He kissed the top of the dog’s head and stood up. “Let me get my kit.”

“Yer suitcase is in the front hall.” Daryl settled on the floor and Ol’ Red crawled into his lap. He was too big to be a lap dog, but the rancher didn’t seem to mind.

Paul smiled, tempted to take a picture, but refrained. They’d just met and taking a picture would be creepy. So, he went back into the front hall and found his suitcase. He laid it down and unsnapped the clasps to open it. He moved aside a few shirts and jeans he’d worn during the road trip from California. He pulled out the leather bag that held his stethoscope, a small, portable ultrasound machine, a bottle of local anesthetic, various medications, tubing and needles to start IV lines and a baggie of gloves.

Daryl raised an eyebrow. “You just carry this shit around with you everywhere you go?”

Paul chuckled as he pulled on some gloves. “This is stuff I bought with my own money before I left my previous job, so no, not necessarily. I kept it in my suitcase so it was readily available for emergencies.” He took the stethoscope out and put the earpieces in his ears.

“Never know when ya might run into a rancher with a sick dog, huh?” The cowboy teased. He rubbed the dog’s ears to keep him calm while Paul listened to his heart then down to his stomach.

“How long did you say it's been since he last ate and drank?” Paul asked as he pressed the stethoscope into the dog’s lower belly. 

“Bout two days. I took ‘im hunting this last weekend.” Daryl watched Paul intently. 

Paul hummed a bit and put the stethoscope around his neck and started gently palpating the hound’s lower belly. Ol’ Red whined a bit in pain. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” The vet murmured and continued palpating. “Has he eaten anything off the ground before?”

The rancher shook his head. “Nah. He’s very good about waitin til I feed ‘im to eat anything. I’ve had ‘im since he was a pup. He’s the first dog I’ve ever had.”

Paul nodded. He took out the portable ultrasound and waited for it to heat up. “Alright. Well, I felt an obstruction in his lower intestine, so I’m going to give him some fluids and then I’ll do an ultrasound. Do you have any fresh water and salt?”

Daryl nodded. “Yeah. There’s some bottled water in the fridge ‘n the salt is in the cupboard above the stove.” He looked back down at the dog in his lap. “Yer gonna be okay, buddy.”

The vet stood up and made his way in the kitchen, humming softly as he got in the fridge for a couple bottles of water and then opened the cupboard above the stove for the bottle of salt. He opened a couple drawers until he found some measuring spoons and got out a teaspoon. He found a measuring cup and opened the bottles of water and dumped them in until he had one cup. He put in a half a tsp of salt into the water and stirred it until the salt was dissolved. He searched for a pot and put it on the stove and turned the heat on. The back door opened and a cute cowgirl with blonde pigtails walked in. She froze when she saw him.

“Who are you?” She glared at him, reaching for a knife on the counter next to her.

Paul immediately put his hands up. “Paul Rovia! I’m a vet! Daryl brought me here!”

She eyed him as if trying to decide if he was telling the truth. After a moment, she lowered the knife and put it back on magnetic strip. “What’re you doing?”

Paul released the breath he’d been holding. “I’m making a saline solution.” He turned back to the stove and picked up the measuring cup. She walked over curiously. He smiled. “Saline is just water and salt. So, it's really easy to make at home. You can use it for a lot of things.” 

“You said you’re a vet. So you’re here to look at Ol’ Red? You don’t work for Daddy, so where did you come from?”

Paul shook his head with a chuckle. “No, I’m not from around here. Um… I was traveling with my boyfriend to Macon. I’d gotten a job at the clinic there, but we had a fight and he… he pretty much left me on the side of the road. I’d walked to the Gander Mountain and met Daryl there.” He watched the water, waiting to see some bubbles raising. When he did, he put a lid on it. “What’s your name? Are you one of Daryl’s ranch hands?”

The girl nodded with a smile. “I’m Beth Greene. My sister and I work here. Daddy’s a vet in the city. He comes out here sometimes to check on the animals, but there’s so many he can’t always make it out here.”

The vet nodded in understanding. “Hey, Paul! Yer lil machine thang is beepin!” Daryl yelled from the living room. 

Paul chuckled. “Will you watch this? If it starts boil, let it boil for ten minutes and take it off the fire.” When he got a nod, he turned and walked back into the living room. He settled back down and picked the ultrasound up. The screen was on, so he knew it was ready. “Alright, Ol’ Red, let's take a look.” He picked up the wand and put some gel on it before pressing it to Ol’ Red’s belly. He pressed down and moved it around until he found what he was looking for. “Mmhm, just like I thought. He’s got an obstruction.”

“Can ya tell what it is?” Daryl looked at the screen, but couldn’t make heads or tails of what he was looking at. 

“It's probably just fecal matter. Do you keep track of his bowel movements?” Daryl gave him an incredulous look. “Daryl, Ol’ Red is an old dog. The older he gets the more likely he is to get backed up and obstructed. He doesn’t digest food like he used to. So, I need you to think. When was the last time you saw him have a bowel movement?”

Daryl sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Uh… I-I dunno. A few days ago?”

Paul nodded. “So, it's probably fecal matter and undigested food.” He cleaned off the wand with a wet wipe and turned off the machine. He packed it away in his cloth bag. “So, what I’m going to do is give him the saline and give him some medicine to loosen the stool. After 12 hours, if he hasn’t urinated or had a bowel movement, I’ll have to help him surgically.”

Daryl nodded. “Yer willin t’stay here that long? I could just take him to the vet in the city.” 

“It’s up to you, Daryl. There’s obviously a reason you brought me here instead of just taking him to the vet in the city.” Paul stood up and stared down at Daryl. “Why did you bring me here instead of taking him to the vet in the city? You don’t know me. For all you know I’m not really a vet, but a psycho who goes around acting like a vet.”

The rancher looked up at him, glaring a bit. He held the dog closer to him protectively. “Are you?”

Paul sighed and shook his head. “No, I’m not. I’m just wondering why you didn’t take him to the vet in the city.”

Daryl looked down at the dog. “... I can’t go into the city. Gander Mountain is as close to the city as I can get. Hershel, my usual vet, can’t come out here very often. He’s gettin older and has other animals to see.”

“So..? You couldn’t have gotten someone else to take him?”

“Ol’ Red won’t go anywhere without me-”

Paul clenched his fists. “So, you would’ve just let him suffer and die?” 

“Of course not!” Daryl glared up at the vet again.”I would’ve risked going into the city to get him seen! If I had t’be killed to get him to the vet, then so be it! I’ll do anythin for ‘im!”

Ol’ Red whined and lifted his head to lick Daryl’s cheek. Paul watched the man and dog. They were very close, so he believed Daryl truly would die just to make sure his friend would be taken care of. Although, why did Daryl think he would die just for going into the city? He nodded after a moment. “Okay.”

“Dr. Rovia? The water is boiling.” Beth’s soft voice seemed to relax Daryl.

Paul watched the man for a moment. There was no way the rancher was gay, so he pushed any attraction he had for the cowboy to the back of his mind. “I’m coming.” He turned and walked into the kitchen. Beth had taken the water off the fire and shut the stove off. “Thank you.” He went to his suitcase and pulled out a second bag and opened it. He pulled out an IV bag and brought it into the kitchen. He carefully poured the solution into the bag and sealed it and put it in the fridge.

Beth watched him do it all with keen interest. She’d always been interested in veterinarian work ever since she’d been old enough to help her father. She followed him into the living room and smiled at Daryl, settling next to him. Daryl smiled back and the hound’s tail wagged when she started petting him.

“Alright, Ol’ Red, you’re not going to like it, but I have to give you some medicine.” Paul pulled out a medicine bottle and a needless syringe. He opened the bottle and pulled the plunge of the syringe to pull the medicine inside. “Okay, Daryl, I need you to hold his jaw open just enough so I can get the medicine in his mouth.”

Daryl nodded and gripped the hound’s jaw, forcing his mouth open just enough so Paul could get the syringe in. Ol’ Red whined as Paul gently massaged his throat to force him to swallow the medicine. “‘m sorry, buddy…” 

Paul took his gloves off, encasing the used syringe in the gloves so he could dispose of it. “Okay. In six hours if he hasn’t done anything, we’ll give him a second dose.”

Daryl nodded, watching Ol’ Red slink off to his body in front of the fireplace and lay on his side. “Don’t think he’s ever given me the cold shoulder b’fore.”

Paul chuckled. “He’ll forgive you once he feels better.” He got up and took his gloves to the trash and threw them out. “He’ll hate me the most when I put the IV in him.” He decided to go ahead and wash the few dishes he used and put the water bottle he hadn’t used back in the fridge. He checked on the saline, but it was still quite warm. He shut the fridge and walked back into the living room. “Could I take a shower, and… maybe your washer and dryer?”

Beth was gone, but Daryl was standing by one of the windows smoking a cigarette and texting on his phone. He looked up when Paul asked him a question. “Oh, sure. Ya got any clean clothes?”

“No, not really. This was my last pair of clean clothes. Alex and I were supposed to stay at a hotel tonight and do laundry.” Paul glared down at the floor. He couldn’t believe Alex. Scratch that. He could. He just couldn’t believe himself for believing Alex could change.

Daryl nodded in understanding. “Think I might have some jeans that fit ya. You can use my shower.” He put the cigarette out on the window sill and out the ashtray back on the mantel. He led Paul upstairs and to the last door on the right. He opened the door.

Lady was laying on the bed. She lifted her head, tail wagging. The room was huge with a balcony and a walk in closet with built in shelves and drawers. Why one man needed so much space, Paul had no idea. He couldn‘t see any feminine clothes or jewelry. Was Daryl single? The bed was a king with dark sheets and a dark comforter. The room was painted a light grey and decorated with paintings of forests scenes in the winter. It was beautiful. He followed Daryl into the bathroom, which was big with a huge tub, a stand alone shower and his and hers separate sinks, only one being used.

“... Wow… uh… I-I don’t mind using a guest shower.” 

Daryl shrugged and tossed Paul a pair of jeans and a tank top with a flannel. The jeans would fit but the shirts would be too big, but Paul wouldn’t complain. “S’fine. Towels are behind the glass door in the shower.” He left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Paul blinked and stared at the now shut door. He walked over to the window between the tub and shower. He parted the light blue curtain and looked outside. He could see the horses running around in the corral down below and smiled. He opened the window so he could listen to them while he showered. He undressed and stepped into the shower and turned it on. He groaned as the hot water poured down on him. He took his time, even grooming his beard at the sink. He cleaned up his mess and tossed the dirty towel and rag into the hamper under the sink. He pulled the clothes on, tying the flannel around his waist. He put his hair up and went back downstairs barefoot. 

He checked on the saline and pulled it out since it was cold. Daryl was in the living room smoking by the window again. He smiled at the handsome man when he looked up at him. “Feel better?”

“Yes, thank you. Wanna help me put the IV in now that the saline is ready?” He pulled out a needle and a package of IV tubing. He walked over to Ol’ Red who looked at him distrusting. He chuckled. “I’m sorry, buddy, but I promise this’ll help you feel better.”

Daryl followed him over after putting out the cigarette again. He knelt down behind Ol’ Red and pet his belly. “S’okay, buddy.”

Ol’ Red huffed but let them do what they needed. Paul got the IV in and taped it around the hound’s paw. He hung the IV bag up on the mantle. Since he didn’t have a pump, he had to control how much which through the tubing using a clamp. He clamped it shut half way, not wanting to over flood the dog’s system with it. 

“Okay… now we just keep an eye on him for the next twelve hours.” Paul smiled up at Daryl. “He’ll be okay.” The cowboy nodded, lips quirking shyly.


	3. Ch. 3

Now that Ol’ Red’s IV was in they could leave him alone to sleep. Paul went into the kitchen to dispose of his gloves and wash his hands. Daryl followed him into the kitchen and leaned on the counter while he watched Paul. The vet dried his hands with a paper towel and smiled at Daryl. The cowboy blushed and looked down at the tiled floor. He could hear the washer running down the hall. He thanked Daryl softly for putting his clothes in the machine. The cowboy merely nodded silently.

“Do you have any other animals you want me to look at?” Paul asked. He leaned back against the counter, admiring the man’s profile. He couldn’t believe such a handsome man was still single if he was in fact single. Fuck, Paul hoped he was. Then again, it wouldn’t be a good idea to get with the man since he still had to go to Macon. He didn’t think just a night of passion with the cowboy would be enough. 

“Not really. Dr. Greene came out a few weeks ago ‘n spent a few days here looking over the animals with his assistants.” Daryl shrugged, biting his bottom lip. “D’ya… think ya could show me how t’make those homemade treats ya’s talkin about?”

Paul chuckled. “And let you in on my secret recipes?” He shook his head. “Sorry… but these recipes were passed down from my grandmother.”

The cowboy nodded in understanding. “Okay…” He bit his bottom lip and cleared his throat awkwardly. They still barely knew each other, so he had no idea what to talk to the vet about. He could ask about Paul’s ex-boyfriend, but that seemed a bit too personal. He could ask about Paul’s schooling, but that seemed like he would be interrogating the vet’s skills. He wanted to give up and just go outside and leave Paul to his own devices when the other man spoke up. 

“You can ask me anything. I don’t mind, really.” Paul smiled sweetly at the cowboy. He could practically feel the nervous tension coming off the older man. It flattered him that Daryl seemed so intent to get to know him that he was wracking his brain trying to think of a question that wouldn’t be too personal or awkward.

Daryl licked his lips and nodded after a moment. “... W-What happened with yer boyfriend? Why’d he leave ya on the side of the road?”

Paul figured that’s what the man was going to ask him. It still brought a bitter taste to his mouth, though. He pursed his lips, glaring at the tile floor. “... Cause he’s an asshole, that’s why.” He sighed. “I swear it was the stupidest argument ever.” He crossed his arms over his chest and released a deep breath. “Admittedly, I’m not surprised we got into such a stupid argument. We’d been stuck in the car and in motel rooms together for a couple days, so it was bound to happen.”

“Still… he shouldn’t’a left ya on the side of the road. S’not what ya do t’someone yer gonna spend the rest of yer life with.”

Paul stared down at the floor, no longer glaring at it, but more defeated and dejected. “No. No, it’s not.” He whispered, suddenly feeling very cold and hurt. “All because I didn’t want to paint the outside of the house yellow. Now, my poor Belle’s stuck with him. He’s probably going to starve her and beat her.” He was very scared for his sweet baby girl now. Alex had always hated Belle, but Paul had gotten her before he’d started dating Alex. He wasn’t going to give her away just because Alex didn’t like her. God, what if he takes her to the pound?

Daryl could tell the vet was very scared for his dog now. He’d be scared for his own dogs, too, if he were in the same situation. He hesitated a moment before moving closer to Paul and reaching to pet his back and shoulder. “I’ll call around tomorrow. What does she look like?”

The vet sniffled and pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it. He pulled up a picture of a blue-grey American bulldog mastiff with white paws, belly and a white strip on her nose. “She’s big, but she’s really sweet. She wouldn’t hurt anyone unless she felt I was in danger.”

“Ol’ Red’s the same way.” Daryl smiled. He admired the photo for a moment. “She’s adorable.” He could definitely see why Paul had named her Belle. “Don’t worry. We’ll find ‘er, okay?” Paul nodded and stared at the photo of the sweet dog. He leaned against Daryl’s side, taking comfort from the man’s warmth. 

The back door opened and Beth walked in, followed by a taller woman with short auburn hair. They both stopped when they saw the two men pressed against each other. Beth grinned brightly and greeted Paul as she crossed the kitchen to go to the stairs. The other woman raised an eyebrow at Daryl with an amused smile. 

 

“Thought you stopped bringing strays home, Daryl.” She held her hand out to Paul. “Maggie Greene.”

Paul blushed a bit and couldn’t help but wonder what she meant by strays. He shook her hand. “Paul Rovia. I’m a vet-”

Maggie nodded. “Beth told me.” She smirked at Daryl. “So, you went from bringing cute, stray animals home to cute, stray men?”

Daryl huffed, cheeks bright red. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying, and failing, to look intimidating. “I brought ‘im here t’look at Ol’ Red, s’the only reason.”

“Mmhm…” Maggie smirked and winked at them both before she followed Beth up the stairs. She was far too used to Daryl’s teddy bear personality to be intimidated by the growl in his voice and his bulging biceps.

Paul smiled, turning to look at Daryl. “Stray, hm?” He eyed the cowboy’s shoulders and biceps, nearly drooling. He swallowed, cheeks flushing a bit. “So. What’s the plan now?” He had to distract himself from the cowboy’s sexy body before he did something embarrassing, like dropping down on his knees in front of the man. 

Daryl cleared his throat and turned to the fridge. “S’about time fer dinner, so… need to get started.”

Paul nodded. He stepped forward and helped Daryl start cutting up vegetables and getting meat searing in a large iron skillet. He was almost amazed at how much they were cooking, but as three other people came in through the back door, he understood. Six people lived in this house, add him into the mix and that was seven mouths to feed. Pretty soon they had a large pot of beef stew on the stove, a large bowl with salad in it and two sheets of bread heating in the stove. He’d gotten to taste test the stew when Daryl was throwing it all together and he nearly creamed his pants. So, not only was the cowboy rich, sexy and good with animals, but he could cook. The man was too good to be true. 

Pretty soon everyone was sitting down around a large table. They passed food down, taking what they wanted and saying a quick prayer before they all started eating and talking about the day’s events and the plans for tomorrow. Paul watched them all, sitting at Daryl’s left. They were a family, Paul realized. Glenn and Maggie were married and expecting their first child. Tara and Rosita were engaged. Beth was dating a boy who worked on the ranch on the east side of the land. Daryl was single. He learned all of this within the first ten minutes of everyone sitting down to eat. They all treated each other with respect and teased playfully. Even Daryl was smiling and teasing Beth about her boyfriend. 

They were a family, and Paul longed to be a part of it. 

He’d never had a family of his own. Belle was his only family. He’d wanted Alex to be a part of his family, but that wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t want it anymore. Alex didn’t deserve him. After watching Daryl with his family he realized he didn’t deserve to be treated the way Alex has treated him since they first started dating. He deserved better. Now that he’d seen what he could have one day, he was determined to have it. It was over with Alex. His ex could have the house if he wanted. Paul would be happy as long as he had Belle and his job as a vet. 

After dinner, Paul moved his clothes into the dryer and joined everyone to relax in the living room for a while before they headed to bed one by one. Soon, it was just him and Daryl in the living room. Paul was settled on one of the window seats, staring outside over the pastures. He could hear the cows in the distance and Ol’ Red snoring by the fireplace. Daryl was settled in a rocking chair in the corner, smoking a pipe as he stared at Paul. Paul could feel the man’s gaze on him. It made his skin tingle and his heart race. He looked over at the cowboy and stared. 

He wasn’t sure how much time passed, but Daryl finished his pipe and stood up to put it on the mantle. Paul watched him intently as the cowboy walked up to him. He stood up when the man stopped in front of him. It was like they were drawn by a magnet. Paul slid his hands up the rancher’s strong chest. He felt Daryl’s big, calloused hands slide up the back of his shirt, pulling him close. He sighed softly, tilting his head up. The cowboy leaned down, brushing his lips lightly against the vet’s. Paul whined softly, fists gripping the cowboy’s t-shirt. He deepened the kiss, pressing tighter against the other man. 

Daryl groaned, wrapping his arms securely around the smaller man. They kissed deeply, lips parting briefly to breathe before kissing again. They sighed and groaned in unison, tongues sliding against each other. Paul whined when the cowboy sucked on his tongue. It made him weak in the knees and his cock twitch. Daryl turned them, pinning Paul to the wall by the window. He lifted Paul up, wrapping the vet’s legs around his waist. He ground their hips together, making the man under him whine.

A loud crash made them both jump and pull away from each other. Daryl looked over and saw Ol’ Red had yanked the IV bag from the mantle, pulling the lamp it’d been tied to down. Daryl let the vet down and they both ran over to the dog to check on him. Paul knelt down to check the IV line and breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s okay.” He took the IV line out since the bag was empty. “Does he have to go out?”

Daryl nodded, watching Ol’ Red get up and whine. “Yeah. Maybe that medicine is workin.” He blushed at the seductive eyes the vet was giving him. Paul didn’t even seem to realize he was looking at the cowboy in such a manner. “I-uh-should take him outside.”

Paul nodded. “Okay. I’ll come with.” He smiled at Ol’ Red and stood up. “C’mon, buddy!” He kissed Daryl’s cheek and walked across the living room into the kitchen and opened the back door. Ol’ red shot past him and immediately went to the grassy area and started sniffing around. It was fairly chilly out, so he untied the flannel from around his waist and put it on. 

The rancher stepped out behind him, the screen door shutting with a soft thunk. He pulled his own light coat on and lit up a cigarette. He watched Ol’ Red hunker down and strain to try to push. Paul hugged himself. He glanced over at the cowboy next to him and smiled. He reached up and plucked the cigarette from the cowboy’s lips and put it between his own, taking a small inhale. Daryl raised an eyebrow at him but grinned. He watched Paul puff on the cigarette a few times before handing it back. 

“Oh, look! He got it!” Paul pointed to Ol’ Red he was straining out quite a massive movement. 

Daryl snorted. It was weird to be excited about a dog taking a crap, but he was glad Ol’ Red would be alright. “So, should I change his diet so this don’t happen again?” He’d been meaning to get Ol’ Red a different kind of dog food, but it was hard to keep the dogs eating separately. 

Paul hummed a bit. “You should. You could put him on a different feeding schedule from the other dogs and feed him in a separate room from the others until they all get in the routine of eating their own food.” He leaned against the taller man, watching Ol’ Red turn to sniff at the turd before bounding over to them. 

“Good job, buddy. D’ya feel better?” Daryl smiled, kneeling down to rub the dog’s ears. Ol’ Red was panting a bit, but he definitely seemed to feel a lot better. He kissed the top of the dog’s head and stood up. “Let’s go inside ‘n go to bed, buddy.” He turned and opened the screen door and Ol’ Red eagerly went inside, tail wagging. Daryl smiled. He hadn’t seen the dog’s tail wag in several days and just like that it was back. He turned to Paul. “... Thank you… really. If you hadn’t taken a chance and come up t’me… I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

Paul blushed and smiled. “You already told me what would’ve happened. You would’ve risked your life to take him into the city to see the vet. I fully believe you wouldn’t let anything happen to him, Daryl. You care about him.” He reached up to pet the rancher’s cheek. “Just like he cares about you.” He turned and walked into the house. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and turned back to Daryl once the cowboy was inside and the back door was shut and locked. “... So… where should I sleep..?”

Daryl licked his lips. He could still taste Paul on his tongue and he wanted more, so much more. He sniffled a bit and looked down, remembering that tomorrow he would be getting one of the girls to take Paul to the bus station in the city to go to Macon. “... I can sleep on the couch, so you can sleep in my bed.”

“Or… I can sleep on the couch and you can sleep in your own bed.” Paul countered, smiling playfully. 

 

The cowboy huffed. “Or we can share my bed.” He took Paul’s hand and led the man upstairs. They reached his room and he let go of the vet’s hand and went into the bathroom to shower. 

Paul slowly undressed, putting the clothes on a chair. He didn’t mind sleeping in only boxers, so he climbed into the bed and sighed softly. The mattress was so comfortable and he was so exhausted from the day, he fell right to sleep. Daryl came back out, towel around his shoulders and sweat-pants hanging loose around his hips. He stared down at the man in his bed and smiled. He crawled in and carefully cuddled up to Paul’s back. He sighed softly and settled down to sleep. 

Daryl’s alarm clock went off at 6 in the morning. He groaned and rolled over, reaching his hand out to shut it off. Paul groaned next to him, hiding his head under the pillow. The cowboy snorted and sat up, rubbing his face tiredly. He stared down at the vet, eyes taking in his smooth back and slim shoulders. He could see the hidden muscles under his skin, though, so he knew Paul had a certain strength to him. He’d never see this man again. That hurt more than he’d expected it to. He leaned down, pressing his lips to Paul’s smooth shoulder. 

“Goodbye, Paul… take care of yerself,” He whispered, fingers lightly brushing through the man’s smooth hair.

He climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. He did his usual morning routine and got dressed in jeans and a flannel, his usual attire. He stepped back out into the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed to pull his boots on. He stood back up and walked over to his dresser and pulled his hat on. He looked at the man on his bed. Paul hadn’t moved. He pulled out his phone and held it up, snapping a quick photo. It was creepy, but he wanted something to remember the beautiful vet with. He took another moment to stare before turning and leaving the room. 

Paul held his breath until the door shut. He slowly rolled over, removing the pillow from his face and instead buried his face into the pillow Daryl had been using. He inhaled deeply, sighing softly at scent left behind. He let himself linger in the bed for a while. He finally got up and used a bit of mouthwash to freshen his breath since he didn’t have a toothbrush. He pulled his hair up and got dressed in the clothes Daryl had let him borrow. He went downstairs and got his clothes from the dryer. He packed them up, keeping one outfit out to change into so he didn’t steal Daryl’s clothes. 

Maggie walked into the house from the back door. “Are you ready to go?”

The vet looked up at her and nodded. “Yeah. Is-is Daryl anywhere around?”

She shook her head. “He’s riding out to the east estate, probably already halfway there by now.” She smiled at him sympathetically. “... I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I just… I wanted to say goodbye.” He picked up his suitcase. “I’m ready.” He followed her out to the truck and tossed his suitcase into the back. He went to the passenger’s side and looked around the ranch one more time. He could truly see himself living here, taking care of the animals with a couple of assistants and sharing Daryl’s bed. His chest felt tight and his face felt warm. He took a deep breath to calm himself and got into the truck.


	4. Ch. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul's time in Macon isn't as good as he thought it would be.

Paul’s first week in Macon was rough. He loved his job at the clinic. He got to see all the cute animals and do surgery as he’d trained for what felt like so many years ago. It was having to fight with the bank to get his name off the lease of the house and Alex trying to act like nothing happened when Paul refused to forgive him and turned down his marriage proposal. Belle was gone. Paul searched everywhere for his beloved mastiff and couldn’t find her. He’d cried every night and screamed at Alex for taking her away. 

He spent as much time at the clinic as he could and even volunteered at the emergency clinic once his own clinic closed for the day. He was making good money, but to be honest he didn’t care. He wanted his baby girl back and he wanted to be back on the ranch with Daryl and all the horses, cows and pigs. That first kiss they’d shared had been real. Far more real than anything he’d shared with Alex or any of his previous boyfriends. He wanted to experience it again. He wanted to drive down that long road with the windows down, smell the fresh cut hay and hear the horses and cows.

He wanted Daryl to open that door and kiss him like they were old lovers reunited. 

That wasn’t going to happen. Daryl was gone. He was almost 140 miles away. Sure it was only two and a half hours away, but it felt like he was halfway across the world to Paul. He could easily make a trip to see Daryl on his day off, but then he would seem desperate and it would be awkward, and he couldn’t handle that in his life at the moment. He missed his dog. He missed his best friend. He wanted her back so bad it hurt. 

After another seventy-hour week, he trudged into the house and shut the door gently. He had a migraine from going on little sleep and barely managing to force himself to eat. He was tired and sore. He’d had a twelve-hour surgery removing a tumor from a dog’s bladder. It had been small but in such a risky area that he’d had to take his time and rethink several plans. The dog had lived and would recover nicely and the smile on the owner’s tearful face had made it all worth it. Still, he was exhausted. 

He looked up and saw his clothes, cookbooks, and Belle’s collar and leash had been thrown haphazardly into a box with a variety of his precious knick-knacks and his favorite throw blanket. “What the hell?” He dropped his keys onto the table by the door and walked up to the box to look through it. 

Alex appeared in the kitchen doorway off the hall and leaned against the frame. He crossed his arms. “The bank called and said your name is off the lease of the house and the car. So, I’m kicking you out.”

Paul looked up at him. “You’re fucking kidding me! Do you think I have the money to rent an apartment right now? I don’t get paid until next week! Do you seriously think you can afford the mortgage on this place on your own?”

The man shrugged. “Not my problem.” He smiled. “And yes, I can. My new boyfriend is moving in tomorrow, which is why you have to be out tonight.”

“And where the hell am I supposed to go and how am I supposed to get all this there?” Paul walked up to him and shoved him. “You’re a fucking asshole, Alex! I’m glad I broke up with you, I deserve so much better than you!” He pulled out his phone, which was promptly taken by Alex. 

“That’s mine, too, since my name is on it.” 

Paul growled and threw his hands up. “The most you could do is call me an Uber! I’ll fucking pay for it!” Alex shrugged but at least had the decency to call for an Uber. The vet felt so betrayed and hurt. He went through the house, making sure Alex didn’t try to keep anything that didn’t belong to him, which meant Paul’s kitchen aid and his grandmother’s cookbook that she’d left for him. He put them in the box, carefully rearranging everything in it so nothing broke or fell out. 

When the Uber arrived, Paul carried the box out and put it in the back. He threw the house keys at Alex, cursing his name and climbed into the back of the Uber. He told the driver to take him to a cheap hotel near the vet clinic so he could walk. He thanked the driver for helping him carrying the box into the hotel room and paid him, giving him a tip. The hotel was cheap enough he could stay in it for a couple of weeks while he searched for an apartment. He looked around the bland room and suddenly missed Daryl’s room. His bed had been soft, the atmosphere of the room had been calming and comforting. He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, covering his face with his hands. 

How had his life ended up here?

 

Daryl sighed as he rode his favorite mare through the fields along the fence. It was a cool day even though it was the middle of summer. There were clouds in the sky blocking out the sun and a promise of rain later. He should be feeling good. The rain was good. The rain brought cool days and filled up the natural well system that he used to water his gardens and animals. So, why was he feeling so off? What was missing in his life that made him feel so lonely?

He knew what it was. 

He kept thinking back to that kiss he’d had with the beautiful vet that saved his dog. The kiss had felt like nothing he’d ever felt before. It’d been hot and sweet. It’d made his whole body tingle and set his nerves a light like fireworks. He’d wanted more when he pinned Paul to the wall. He’d been ready to take the man to his bed and give him a reason to stay. He could’ve still taken the man to bed when Ol’ Red had finally relieved himself of the obstruction. Hell, they’d been in his bed, he’d just been too much of a coward to make a move. 

And Paul had obviously wanted him to make a move. The only reason he didn’t was the thought that he’d get too attached. Paul was supposed to leave the next day anyway. He couldn’t bring himself to make love to the man when it would only be a one night stand. It would’ve been the most beautiful, wonderful one night stand in his life. He’d missed out on it and he hated himself for it now that he knew he was hurting anyways. He could go to Macon. It wasn’t like there were people in Macon that wanted him dead. He just couldn’t bring himself to leave his ranch for such an extended period of time. 

The mare under him let out a short snort and shook her head. Daryl looked down at her and patted the side of her neck. “‘M okay, girl. C’mon, let’s keep goin.” The mare nodded her head and continued walking, stopping occasionally the curiously sniff at something. Daryl let her take her time. She was his youngest mare at the moment, barely a little over a year old. He’d named her Starlight for the blue of her eyes and her white and light brown coat.

The rest of the ride took a little over an hour. Starlight had a scare when a garter snake slithered in front of her, but the ride was otherwise uneventful. He marked down a few parts in the fence that would definitely need to be fixed soon so he could start taking inventory of how much chicken wire and steel rods he would need. He dismounted Starlight once they entered the ranch and led her to the barn by the reigns. He got her into her stall and took the saddle and bit off and put them away, then grabbed a brush and brushed her down. He fed and watered her, then closed the door to her stall and left her to relax. 

It took them all another hour to get some of the horses put up, leaving others to continue to roam the corrals. They checked on the chickens and pigs, making sure everyone was comfortable before going into the house to get themselves comfortable, fed and relaxed. Dinner was quiet. Everyone was tired from the day and they were all just ready to relax. Daryl finished eating and went into the living room to relax. Since he and Beth had cooked, Maggie and Tara were going to clean the dishes. 

He sat in his rocking chair, eyeing the window seat Paul had occupied just a couple weeks ago. He puffed on his pipe, Ol’ Red laying in his bed in front of the lit fireplace. The window was open, allowing the nice breeze to blow in. He could hear thunder in the distance. Tonight would’ve been the perfect night to make love in his bed. He would’ve opened the windows in his room, listen to the thunder and rain, and make Paul scream his name. The thought made his cheeks flush. 

“What’re you thinking about?” Beth teased as she eyed him from her own spot on the couch. In her hands she had knitting needles working meticulously to make Maggie’s baby a blanket. “Your cheeks are all red and you’re giving that window the bedroom eyes.”

Daryl huffed and blushed more in embarrassment. “Ain’t thinkin bout nothin.” He muttered, puffing on the pipe a bit more aggressively.

“Mmhm…” Beth hummed, looking down at the needles. “You’re thinking about that vet, aren’t you?” She whispered and glanced up at him, blue eyes all knowing. “I saw how you looked at him. You’ve never looked at anyone the way you looked at him, not even Miss Carol at the south ranch despite her best efforts to seduce you.”

Daryl sighed out a bit of smoke and leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling fan. “Can’t explain it. There was jus somethin different about ‘im. I felt… so comfortable around him, felt like I could tell him everything, ‘n I almost did. We kissed.” He whispered, licking his lips. He could remember just how Paul tasted and damn he wanted more. “I really woulda had him that night, ‘n he woulda let me.”

“So, why didn’t you?” Beth whispered. She set the needles in her lap carefully, hands folded over the half-finished blanket. She watched the older man with affectionate eyes. 

“... He was leavin the next day anyway. I couldn’t let myself get attached.”

“But you still attached yourself to him, and now he's gone and you’re hurting.” At the older man’s nod, she smiled sweetly. “So, go see him. We can handle the ranch for a day. We’ve all worked here for years, we know what needs to be done and how to do it. If we have any concerns or questions, we’ll call.”

Daryl seemed to think this over, but he couldn’t come to a decision. The furthest he’d ever been from the ranch in the last ten years was Gander Mountain. The one time he went even further he’d nearly been killed. He really hated his brother even though he was dead. Merle had left a debt of drugs and money on his head and now every gang in Atlanta wanted him dead. He stood up and walked over to the window when it started raining. He kissed Beth’s hair, told her he was turning in and walked upstairs to his room. He put out his pipe in his room, took a shower and laid in bed. Paul’s scent had faded, but he still buried his face in the pillow the vet had used and fell asleep.

 

Another couple of months passed. Paul was having a very hard time trying to find an apartment. Between working at the clinic seventy hours a week and volunteering at the emergency clinic thirty hours a week, all of his time was taken up. He hardly slept and barely ate unless one of the nurses at the clinic forced him to sit and eat. He couldn’t bring himself to stomach anything. He barely knew the cowboy and spent one night with him in his bed, they hadn’t even had sex, but he missed him. He missed Ol’ Red, missed seeing everyone around the dinner table and hearing the horses through the window. 

He missed Belle. 

 

He‘d taken a single day off to buy a car and got a new phone. Since he was still staying in the hotel room and getting so much over time, he had a good amount of money saved up in his account. So, now that he’d bought the car, all he had was a car payment, cell phone payment, and paying for the hotel room and whatever food he bought, which wasn’t much considering he wasn’t really eating. He was doing quite well in his opinion. Sure he was living in a hotel room and spent all his time around animals, but at least he had a roof over his head, a car, and a job. Things could be worse. Except for the fact that he was lonely… very lonely. 

He walked into his hotel room around three in the morning and shut the door behind him. He locked it. He wasn’t exactly in a bad neighborhood, but he didn’t trust people. He stood by the door for a moment, looking around the room. His clean clothes were hanging up and his dirty clothes were in a basket in the bathroom. His cookbooks were still in the box with his other knick-knacks. Belle’s collar and leash were laying on the nightstand by the bed. 

This wasn’t home. This wasn’t what he wanted his life to be. If Belle were with him it would be a bit more tolerable, but she wasn’t. He was alone. The thought brought tears to his eyes. He wanted to destroy something. He wanted to smash the walls and take a crowbar to Alex’s precious truck. Instead, he walked to the box by the closet and yanked his clothes off the hangars, tossing them into the box. He grabbed Belle’s collar and leash and pocketed them both. He pulled his throw blanket off the bed and folded it, putting it in the box as well. He carried the box out to his car and put it in the back. 

He went to the front lobby, checked out, got in his car and drove northeast to Dixon Estate.

 

Hershel showed up at the ranch early in the morning to do his monthly check-up of the animals. There was a pit bull mastiff in the back of his truck. Daryl stepped out on the porch to greet the vet and waved when the truck came to a stop in front of the house. He stepped down off the porch and paused when he saw the dog. She looked vaguely familiar to him. Hershel climbed out of the truck and limped over to Daryl on his prosthetic. He smiled and shook Daryl’s hand, hugging him gently. 

“Who’s the cutie?” Daryl asked as the mastiff jumped down and walked up to him, tail wagging. 

“She was found wandering the alleys a couple weeks ago, nearly starving and with an injured back leg. She’d been hit by a car and managed to run away from the scene.” Hershel smiled and reached down to pet her head. “No one claimed her, she didn’t have a collar or chip, and she’s such a sweetie, so I kept her.”

Daryl stared down at the sweet girl. She looked very familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He shrugged and stroked her ears. “Alright.” Ol’ Red trotted up to the mastiff. She was near twice his size, but the two dogs sniffed each other and then started chasing each other. He smiled and patted Hershel’s back and they walked to the barn so he could start on the mare’s pregnancy check-up. 

It was almost dusk when Paul pulled up to Dixon Estate. Halfway to the ranch, he’d nearly ran off the road due to exhaustion, so he stopped at a hotel to sleep. He hadn’t planned on sleeping all day, but his body must have really needed it. He parked behind a truck and got out. He breathed in the fresh air and sighed softly, finally relaxing. He could hear the cows in the distance and hear the horses in the barn. 

He smiled and walked up to the house. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door. Heavy footsteps walked up to the door and his heart skipped a beat. He knew who those footsteps belonged to before the door even opened. Daryl flipped on the porch light and paused when he saw Paul. Paul bit his bottom lip and smiled up at the rancher. 

“Paul…” Daryl could barely speak the name, so it came out as more of a soft breath. His heart started beating fast. His stomach fluttered with giddy butterflies. The vet was even more beautiful than he remembered. 

“Hi, Daryl,” Paul whispered.


	5. Ch. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Daryl talk and Paul gets a glimpse of the rancher naked.

“Paul, what-what’re you doing here?” Daryl couldn’t move. The man he’d been dreaming about for the last two and a half months was standing on his front porch looking tired, depressed and alone. 

The vet swallowed and looked down. “Would you believe me if I told you I missed you?” He asked softly. He was nearly shaking with nerves. He’d had a whole explanation planned in his head for the handsome rancher, but now he couldn’t remember a single word of it. When the rancher’s cheeks flushed, he smiled a bit. “Um,” he sniffled “Alex, my ex-boyfriend, kicked me out of our house. He took my phone, got rid of my dog and kept the truck.”

“Holy shit…” Daryl mumbled. He really wanted to go find the guy and beat the shit out of him. Thunder rumbled in the distance. It was mid-October now, so storms were more frequent and it was a lot more chilly. He stepped back. “Get in here. Dinner’s just about done. Are ya hungry?”

Paul stepped inside and shook his head. “I can’t really stomach anything right now.” He was relieved when Daryl nodded in understanding and led him into the living room to sit him in front of the fire. He froze, however, by the couch when he saw another dog laying in front of the fireplace next to Ol’ Red. “... Belle?”

Belle’s head lifted off her paws and looked up at Paul. She barked excitedly, shooting up and bounding up to the vet. She pounced on top of him, knocking him down on the ground. Paul sobbed, not even noticing the pain in his back, chest, and ass. She slobbered all over his face, but he merely hugged her close. Daryl watched them. He knew he’d recognized the dog from somewhere. This was Paul’s dog. He felt terrible. He’d told Paul he would call around to find her, but he hadn’t done that. 

“‘M sorry, Paul…” He whispered. 

The vet looked up at him, tears in his eyes, but smiling happily. “Why? What for?” He gently pushed Belle off of him so he could stand up. He used the front of his shirt to wipe the excess drool off his face. Belle whined, sitting down and laying her body against Paul’s leg, nearly knocking him over. 

“I… I didn’t… I could’ve helped you look for her.” Daryl looked down at Belle. “Hershel said she was found nearly starving in an alley ‘n it looked like she’d been hit by a car. If… If I had-”

Paul reached and put a finger to Daryl’s lips. “Daryl, you didn’t know. I didn’t know until I got to the house that Alex had gotten rid of her. You have nothing to apologize for.” He smiled and removed his finger so he could gently pet the rancher’s cheek. “She looks fine now.”

Daryl licked his lips and looked down at the mastiff. He smiled and nodded after a moment. “Okay.” He led Paul around the couch so they could sit do. “So, yer ex-” He faltered for the asshole’s name.

“Alex.” Paul sniffled, muttering the name bitterly. Belle settled on the floor at his feet, tail wagging and tongue flopping out as she stared up at him with love in her eyes. He smiled and reached down to rub her ears. 

“Yeah… Alex… he kicked ya out? What happened?” He got up and went to the bar in the corner of the room and poured Paul a small glass of whiskey with a couple of ice cubes. He walked back over to the couch and sat down, handing the glass to the vet. 

Paul took the alcohol gratefully and sipped from it before speaking. “Well, as soon as he told me he’d gotten rid of Belle, I knew it was truly over between us. So, the next day I called the bank and told them that I wanted my name off the lease of the house and a separate bank account from Alex. I argued with them for hours before they finally agreed to take my name off the lease and opened a separate account for me. Can you believe the asshole actually asked me to marry him?”

“I hope you said no.” Daryl scoffed. He couldn’t believe some people. “After what he did t’you ‘n t’Belle he don’t deserve either of you.”

“Oh, believe me. I didn’t just say no. I took the ring out of the box, tossed it in the garbage disposal and turned it on.” Paul chuckled a bit. “I-I threw a five hundred dollar ring… down the garbage disposal.” He started laughing more, tears pouring down his cheeks. Everything was finally hitting him. He’d been going through the motions for the last two and a half months. Work, volunteer, sleep. That had been his life. 

A terrible life. 

He’d lived in a cheap, bland hotel room, eating fast food and convenience store food. He’d called the clinic and told them he quit. He told the emergency vet clinic he couldn’t volunteer anymore. What was he going to do now? He stopped laughing and stared down at Belle. He had Belle now, at least. He wasn’t so alone. He looked over at Daryl. He had the rancher back now. He didn’t even know if the man wanted him. He started sobbing, covering his face with his hand. 

Daryl watched the vet for a moment. He scooted closer, taking the glass from him and setting it aside. He wrapped his arm around Paul’s shoulders and pulled him close. He kissed the man’s hair and rubbed his back and shoulder. He cooed softly to the man. Paul leaned on him. He turned and buried his face in the rancher’s neck, arms wrapping around his waist. Daryl wrapped both arms around him. He pet his fingers through the vet’s hair and rocked them back and forth slowly. Belle whined up at them, head tilted curiously.

Paul cried himself to sleep, clutching onto Daryl tightly. The rancher gently lifted Paul up in his arms. The vet whined but didn’t wake. He ignored the looks Maggie and Beth were giving him and carried Paul upstairs. Belle and Ol’ Red followed him. He laid Paul down on the bed and gently undressed him. Paul whined, settling when Belle jumped up on the bed and laid down beside him. He wrapped an arm around her and sighed softly. Daryl smiled. He went into the bathroom to shower, Ol’ Red following him in to wait for him to finish. He washed up and dried off, pulling on a pair of boxer briefs and climbed into bed. Ol’ Red jumped up to lay behind him while he cuddled up to Paul’s back. He sighed softly, falling right to sleep.

Paul woke up the next morning feeling warm and content for once. He mumbled sleepily, nuzzling into Belle’s neck. He sighed softly and looked over his shoulder at the man cuddled up behind him. He smiled. If that wasn’t a hint that Daryl wanted him, he didn’t know what was. He closed his eyes again, resting back on the man. He could fall asleep like this every night and wake up like this every morning. He was just about to fall asleep when Daryl’s alarm went off. Ol’ Red jerked awake and howled. 

Daryl grunted and looked over his shoulder at the dog blearily. “Red! Shut up!” The dog immediately silenced and looked at him. The rancher sighed and rubbed his face. “S’time t’get up.”

“Do you really have to?” Paul whispered as he rolled over, nuzzling into Daryl’s shoulder. He sighed, hands fingering the hairs on the rancher’s broad chest. He took a deep breath, breathing in the man’s scent. “I was rather enjoying having your morning wood pressed against my ass.” He chuckled when the man’s cheeks turned bright red. 

“Sorry ‘bout that…” Daryl murmured. He didn’t move away or push the vet away. “It-uh… it actually ain’t done that in a long time.”

Paul smirked. “Oh, really? I’ll take that as a compliment. I especially like how big it is.” The rancher’s cheeks turned even pinker and the vet laughed. “You’re cute, Daryl.” Belle and Ol’ Red jumped down. The older dog pawed the door open and the two trotted out of the room. Paul yelped when Daryl sat up and gave his ass a good smack before disappearing into the bathroom. He giggled and buried his face in the rancher’s pillow, cheeks pink.

He waited until the rancher finished in the bathroom to go in and shower. All of his things were still in the back of the car, so he just went through Daryl’s closet and dresser until he found clothes that fit him. He hummed as he went downstairs and into the kitchen. Everyone was already awake and had started their morning chores, so he decided to go ahead and make breakfast since he couldn’t help them with their chores. He went out to his car to get his cookbooks and his cell phone charger. 

Once he had his phone charging and music playing, he pulled his hair up into a ponytail and searched through the kitchen until he found everything he needed. He opened the kitchen door so the nice breeze could blow in. He sang and danced as he cooked, getting a big pan of eggs scrambling and some bacon frying in the oven. He used his grandmother’s cookbook to make some biscuit dough. The ranch house didn’t have a kitchen aid, so he brought his own in to use the dough hook. Once the dough was resting, he decided to make an apple pie when he saw some apples resting in a basket hanging in front of the kitchen window. 

Daryl passed by the kitchen door as he led Starlight toward the corral so she could run around free. He paused when he heard music and looked in through the screen door. He chuckled when he saw Paul dancing around to some hip hop song. He could smell the food and fresh coffee and sighed softly, realizing how hungry he was. Paul looked to be in a much better mood. He was smiling and having fun. The ponytail was flying around as he bobbed and shook his head.

Starlight nudged his shoulder with her nose. He patted her nose gently and shook his head, smiling as he continued leading her to the corral. He got Starlight into the corral so she could run around freely. He moved two other horses to join her and went back to the barn to clean their stalls. Once he was done, he walked back to the house, joined by Maggie and Tara. He smiled at them and asked them how their morning was going so far. Tara nudged him playfully. 

“You seen your boyfriend in the kitchen? He’s really made himself at home, hasn’t he?” She grinned, nudging him again. Daryl knew she wasn’t being mean. She was just teasing him. 

He huffed and nudged her back. “Yeah… I saw ‘im, but he ain’t my boyfriend.” 

“Mmhm. Sure he ain’t.” Maggie hummed as she opened the screen door and stepped in. She took a deep breath. “Oh my God, Paul. It smells so good.”

Paul smiled as he set the iron skillet of eggs in the middle of the table next to the plate of biscuits and the other plate of bacon and sausage. “Gravy’s almost done. Everyone grab a cup of coffee.” He turned and went to the counter, picking up a mug. “I made you one already, Daryl.” He walked over to the man’s seat and set it down, pulling the chair out for him. 

Daryl smiled and walked over to the chair and sat down. “Thanks, Paul.” He sat down, giving Maggie and Tara a look as they started giggling by the coffee pot. He waited as Paul started piling his plate with eggs, bacon, and sausage. “Paul, you don’t gotta-”

“Let me go get the gravy.” The vet kissed the top of Daryl’s head and went to the stove. He brought the saucepan over to the table and poured the gravy over the two biscuits on Daryl’s other plate. He set the saucepan back on the stove and walked back to the table and sat down. “No hats at the table.” He gave them all a look. 

They all looked at each other before taking their hats off. Paul smiled happily and sipped at his coffee. He picked up his fork and started eating. As soon as Daryl took his first bite, he sighed happily. Beth and Maggie were good cooks, but damn Paul’s cooking was amazing. Even the girls and Glenn who was now joining them seemed to be impressed by the vet’s cooking. They all complimented him and asked him what he used in his cooking. Beth was incredibly interested and listening intently to every word he said. Daryl smiled as he watched Paul talk with everyone. He felt like he truly belonged with them. He was a part of their family. 

“So, while you guys are doing all your work around the ranch, I’m going to clean the house. It-it doesn’t feel right to me to be here and not helping out, so… the least I could do is clean and cook.” Paul smiled as he stood up to gather the dishes. “Are there any rooms you guys don’t want me going in?”

Beth stood up to help him. “You don’t have to do that. I don’t know what you went through the last few months, but it must’ve been bad enough that you should just relax.” 

“Nonsense.” The vet smiled and shook his head. “I want to.”

Maggie and Tara shrugged and both told him they didn’t mind him going into their rooms to clean. Tara told him to just not worry about under the bed since she had a trunk under it full of sex toys. Glenn blushed and hurried out as Rosita laughed and followed him. Daryl snorted and shook his head. He finished his coffee and took his own plate and mug to the kitchen. He started rinsing off his plate to put in the dishwasher, but Paul smacked his hand playfully and shooed him out of the house. 

Beth giggled as she was shooed out of the house as well. She put his white cowboy hat on and smiled at Daryl. “He’s going to fit right in.” She kissed the rancher’s cheek and walked away to continue her chores in the gardens. 

Daryl smiled, watching everyone walk away to continue their chores for the day until lunch at 1. He turned and watched Paul through the screen door. The vet had turned his music back on and was filling the dishwasher up. Belle and Ol’ Red came around the corner and they each sat next to Daryl on either side of him. Belle’s tail was wagging as she watched Paul sing and dance as he cooked. He pulled the apple pie out of the oven and put it on the window sill to let it cool. He smiled when he saw Daryl watching him. 

The rancher blushed and quickly put his worn, black cowboy hat on. He lit up a cigarette and gave Paul a shy smile and walked away to the barn. He stopped outside of it, waiting until he finished his cigarette, tossing it into a tin can filled with water. He made sure it was put out before he went into the barn to continue cleaning out the stalls. Ol’ Red and Belle followed him around while he did the rest of his chores. He skipped lunch so he could travel out along the fence to fix any chicken wire or replace steel rods. 

The vet scolded him for skipping lunch and gave him extra helpings of dinner, especially a large piece of the apple pie. The house smelled good and even felt clean. They’d all worked together to keep the house presentable, but Paul had done a deep cleaning. The air smelled of lavender and a slight hint of bleach and vinegar, but no one minded it. They all ate second helpings of the beef stew and cornbread Paul had made. Paul was glad he’d made a second apple pie and there was plenty of ice cream, cause everyone really enjoyed the dessert. He had a small slice himself and there was just enough left for him to put away for Daryl to eat tomorrow. He hummed and took out some chicken to thaw tomorrow. He was exhausted and sore, but this time he was happy. He’d done what he wanted and made himself useful. 

Belle whined at him from the doorway and he smiled at her. “C’mon, girl. Let’s go take a shower and go to bed.” His fingers pet her ears and he started up the stairs with her next to him. He entered Daryl’s room and went into the bathroom just as Daryl was getting out of the shower himself. They both froze and looked at each other, Paul’s eyes locked on the rancher’s cock. “Oh my-” It wasn’t enormous, but it was bigger than any man he’d been with before. 

Daryl’s cheeks flared bright red and he quickly wrapped his towel around his waist. “Um… I-I’m done… the bathroom’s yer’s.” He slipped past the vet out of the bathroom, shutting the door. 

Paul’s cheeks pinked up and he bit his bottom lip. He grinned to himself. Daryl had a beautiful cock and he wanted to get his hands on it. Belle whined, looking up at him curiously. He giggled and covered his face with his hands. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time. He’d never even felt like this with Alex. Daryl was adorably shy and innocent. Paul couldn’t believe the man was still single, and perhaps the man would be his someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also! Hey, if anyone wants to hear the song Ol' Red is named after, here's a link to it! it's Ol Red by Blake Shelton!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft9kGtuTTlA


	6. Ch. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Daryl have a little fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter isn't as long as the others, but I felt the ending was perfect.

Paul took his time in the shower. He’d moved all his special bathroom supplies he’d taken from Alex’s house into Daryl’s bathroom. The cowboy hadn’t seemed to minded, which Paul took as Daryl was alright with Paul still sharing his bed. He hummed as he used his special razor to groom his pubic hairs. He’d have to go get waxed soon if he and Daryl were going to be having sex any time soon. To be honest, he wasn’t sure what they were. They hadn’t specifically said they were lovers or even dating. 

Though, if Daryl’s reaction to Paul seeing him naked was any indication, there was definitely some kind of feelings involved. The vet chuckled at the memory of the cowboy’s bright red cheeks and the way he’d wrapped his towel around his torso and hips like the man had something to hide. His dick was certainly nothing to scoff at. Paul’s mouth watered at the thought of one day getting to touch the man, and not just his dick, either. Daryl had a body worth worshipping. He was all muscle and calloused skin. 

The vet sighed softly as he turned the water off and stepped out. Belle lifted her head from her paws and watched him grab a towel to dry off with. He trimmed his beard down, using a rag to clean up the sink once he was done. He put his hair up in a bun and pulled on some black boy shorts and one of Daryl’s tank tops. It was loose on him, but he was okay with that. He flicked the bathroom light off and walked over to the bed, Belle following after him. He climbed into the bed, smiling at Daryl’s sleeping form. Belle jumped up and settled next to Ol’ Red at the end of the bed.

Paul settled down under covers, head resting on the pillow. Daryl was facing him, breathing softly as he slept. The vet bit his bottom lip, reaching a hand forward to trace the edge of the cowboy’s jaw. The older man’s facial hair tickled and pricked his skin, making him smile. He leaned forward, pressing a very light kiss to the man’s dry, chapped lips. Daryl grunted but didn’t stir. His arms wrapped around Paul’s waist and pulled him closer. Paul buried his face into the cowboy’s neck, breathing in his scent as he fell asleep.

 

Daryl’s alarm clock went off at five thirty in the morning like it did every morning for the last fifteen years. He sighed and rolled over to reach for his phone on the nightstand. He couldn’t get very far due to the vet that was currently wrapped around him like a koala. He managed to get a finger on the screen and drag the phone closer so he could get his fingers around it. He turned the alarm off and looked down at the man cuddled against him. Paul had seen him naked last night. He groaned and rubbed his face with his free hand. 

The vet stirred, cheeks nuzzling Daryl’s pec as his eyes opened. He smiled up at the cowboy, eyes glazed over from sleep. He murmured a soft ‘good morning’ and hummed warmly. Daryl stared down at him. How could the man look so beautiful so early in the morning? The sun wasn’t even up, yet, but Paul was shining brighter than any star Daryl had ever seen. The cowboy blushed a bit at the sweet, sleepy smile the vet gave him. How could anyone do anything to hurt such a sweet, beautiful person?

The cowboy carefully rolled over, trying not to kick the dogs at the end of the bed. He leaned over Paul, staring down at him with a dark, seductive gaze. Paul swallowed thickly. The only other time Daryl had looked at him like that was when they’d kissed in the living room almost three months ago. A large, calloused hand cupped his cheek, thumb brushing over his bottom lip. Paul parted his lips, tongue flicking out against the man’s thumb. The soft growl made his cock twitch and his heart skip a beat.

Daryl surged down, pressing his lips against Paul’s with gentle aggression that Paul didn’t even know was possible. He moaned, arms wrapping around the cowboy’s broad shoulders and kissing back with a need he hadn’t felt in years. Neither of them had brushed their teeth yet that morning, but they didn’t care. The older man was hard and pressing into the vet’s thigh, and god he was big. Paul whined, arching into the man’s large hand as it pushed up his shirt and brushed against his nipple. 

Paul’s fingers gripped the man’s hair, sucking his tongue into his mouth. The man let out another growl, hips grinding his cock into the vet’s thigh. Paul wanted to get his hands on the man. He wanted to touch every inch of him and feel every muscle. The cowboy seemed to have other ideas, though. He pulled away from the kiss and leaned down, nipping the younger man’s nipple and sucking on it until Paul was whimpering. Paul’s cock was twitching and growing to full hardness. He hadn’t felt such passion and want from a lover since he was in his early twenties, and never from Alex.

The cowboy groaned, tongue licking a path to the vet’s other nipple and giving it the same treatment. He licked up Paul’s neck and into his mouth, hand reaching down to tease the tips of his fingers over the younger man’s clothed cock. Paul whimpered again, kissing back eagerly and rocking into the older man’s hand to get more friction. Daryl let out a muffled chuckle, lifting his hand away from Paul’s cock. Paul pulled away from the kiss, a soft plea leaving his lips as he looked up at the man. The smirk he got in return made him whimper. 

The cowboy was a damn tease!

Paul whimpered again. “Daryl, please.” He rocked his hips up, trying to get the man to touch him again. 

Daryl cooed softly, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the vet’s lips. His fingers rubbed along the hard cock teasingly. Paul spread his legs a bit more in an effort to coerce the older man. The cowboy hummed softly, kissing down Paul’s neck as he slipped his hand under the boy shorts. He wrapped his warm, calloused fingers around Paul’s cock and started stroking. The younger man’s reaction was immediate. He moaned and arched his back, hips rocking into the cowboy’s hand. 

“That’s it, baby.” He nipped the younger man’s ear, nose nuzzling the skin underneath. Paul’s nails were digging into his shoulders, hips rocking and bucking into his hand. He could feel precum dribbling out of the man’s cock already and groaned softly. He pressed one last kiss to Paul’s lips and scooted down the bed. 

Ol’ Red grunted when Daryl nudged him off the bed. He jumped down and stalked out of the room with Belle following behind. Paul chuckled breathlessly, though his breath hitched when he felt the boy shorts being drawn down his hips. He looked down, watching as Daryl wrapped his fingers around the base of his cock. He licked his lips, eyes falling shut as the cowboy’s tongue swirled around the head of his cock. He couldn’t believe this was happening. 

“God, yes…” He whimpered as he felt his cock being sucked into the older man’s mouth. It’d been so long since anyone had sucked his cock. Alex refused to do it because it was a demeaning act, but he loved to have his own cock sucked. The cowboy seemed a bit out of practice, but Paul didn’t care. It felt so good. “Don’t stop, please don’t stop.” 

Daryl was bobbing his head, tongue swirling around the tip each time he pulled up. His fingers were still wrapped around the base, stroking what he couldn’t swallow down. Paul was already on the brink of orgasm, which was a bit embarrassing. He prided himself on his stamina. It’d just been so long as someone had touched him the way Daryl was. He was feeling truly wanted and cherished even though they still barely knew each other. He didn’t know what the scars on the man’s body came from or if he had any family in the city. 

He did know the man had a fantastic mouth, though. 

“Fuck… I’m gonna cum. Please, please.” He’d never begged for anything in his life before until now. He felt the man groan and take in as much as he could. The tight heat wrapped around the head of his cock sent Paul into a blinding orgasm. He bucked his hips up, thighs trembling and vision blurring as he came hard down the cowboy’s throat. Daryl swallowed every drop before sitting up and licking his lips. “Jesus Christ…” The vet muttered, breathing hard as he came down from the high of ecstasy. The cowboy smirked at him. 

Paul purred and reached up to pull the man down on top of him. He kissed the man deeply, licking into his mouth to taste his own cum on Daryl’s tongue. He groaned at the taste, hands petting along the man’s broad chest. He could get hard again just from touching the man. Daryl groaned back, grinding down on Paul’s hip. He was still very hard and growing more aggressive with every kiss and grind. The vet reached further down, hands digging into the back of the cowboy’s boxer briefs and digging his nails into each firm ass cheek. Daryl grunted, his whole body shuddering as he came into his underwear. 

The vet pulled away from the kiss, eyes blinking in aroused awe as the cowboy continued to grind against him until he finished. Daryl sighed as he came down, head resting on Paul’s shoulder. Paul was pretty sure that was the single hottest thing he’d ever seen. He took a moment to let the man catch his breath before he tried pulling him into another kiss, but Daryl leaned back instead. 

“I-I’m sorry…”

The vet blinked and tilted his head in confusion. “What for?” The cowboy bit his bottom lip and shrugged, looking down as if Paul’s chest held all of life’s secrets in it. “Daryl, you didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, I should be sorry for cumming so fast. I promise I usually have way more stamina than that.”

Daryl swallowed thickly and flicked his eyes up to look at Paul before looking back down. “... ‘m actually kinda flattered I got ya t’cum so fast. I… I ain’t never sucked cock before.”

No way. 

“Are you serious? That was your first time?” At the cowboy’s affirming nod, Paul groaned, far more embarrassed now. “Well, it was very good.” He smiled, gently pulling the cowboy down into a kiss. “And I’m very flattered you came just by grinding against my hip.” The man’s cheeks pinked up, making the vet giggle. “Don’t worry, we have all the time in the world to explore each other and make each other cum in so many different ways.” The cowboy’s shy smiled made Paul’s heart skip a beat and his stomach flutter with giddy excitement.

 

Maggie and Tara looked up when the two men walked into the kitchen dressed and ready for the day. They were all sitting around the table drinking coffee and waiting for their boss. Tara smirked at the flush on her boss’ cheeks and the bright smile on the vet’s lips. “Well, don’t you two look bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning.” She teased. Daryl was never late in the mornings. He was always the first one up and the last to go to bed. The fact that he was late this morning and had a very telling blush on his cheeks made her giddy for the man. 

Daryl blushed more and glared. “Ain’t ya’ll got work t’do?” He grumbled as he walked to the coffee pot. He pulled down a mug and filled it with water, choosing a K-Cup to put in the Keurig. 

“You specifically said we shouldn’t start work until we had our family meeting.” Glenn wasn’t sure what the girls were all giggling about. All he knew was that Daryl had something to talk to them about this morning. 

Paul hummed as he pulled down his own mug and filled it with water while he waited for Daryl’s to finish. “Family meeting?”

“Oh yeah,” Daryl mumbled as he pulled some creamer out of the fridge. “I wanna hire Paul on as the vet fer the ranch, and Beth I think you’d be a great assistant for ‘im.” He’d noticed when Paul was working on Ol’ Red the youngest Greene had been very interested in what he was doing. Everyone went quiet and looked at the cowboy. He didn’t notice, just poured a tiny bit of creamer into his coffee and stirred it. He looked up at Paul when the vet hadn’t poured the water into the pot. “What?” He looked over his shoulder at the others. “Ya’ll don’t think its a good idea?”

Paul teared up a bit. “... You… You want me to work here? Like… permanently?” It was a dream come true for him to work on a ranch with so many different animals. He’d get to see births and watch the babies grow into adults. He’d get to stay with Daryl. He’d be a part of their family. “You… want me to stay?”

Daryl didn’t know what the big deal was. “Yeah. Hershel’s gettin too old t’keep comin out here ‘n I don’t trust his assistants. I seen how you are with animals ‘n I like havin you here-” He nearly dropped his coffee cup when the vet surged up to kiss him deeply. The cowboy’s cheeks flushed when he realized everyone at the table was watching. He found he didn’t care if they knew. He wrapped his arm around Paul’s waist, kissing back for a moment. He leaned back, panting a bit. “Is that a yes?”

“Thank you. Yes, thank you.” The vet sobbed softly, burying his face in the cowboy’s neck. He clung tightly to the older man, taking deep breaths to try to calm himself. 

Beth was smiling brightly. “And I can be his assistant?” She’d been thinking about going to veterinarian school for a couple of years now, but she loved working on the ranch and didn’t want to leave. To get to do both would be a dream come true for her as well. 

“I mean-yeah if ya don’t mind takin on a bit of extra work. I still need help in the-” Daryl grunted when Beth hugged onto him as well. He blinked, looking down at the blonde haired girl. He was crying, too, but she was also very happy. He looked over the top of Beth’s and Paul’s heads at the rest of his family sitting at the table. They were all grinning and nodding in acceptance of Daryl’s plans.

“Group hug!” Tara yelled as she shot out of her own chair and ran forward, wrapping her arms around them as much as she can. Rosita and Maggie joined in eagerly, though Glenn hesitated until Maggie pulled him into the hug as well. Paul and Daryl were stuck in the middle, surrounded by the other four. Ol’ Red and Belle were barking and bouncing around excitedly. 

Daryl normally hated being touched, but he was surrounded by his family and it felt good. He chuckled and smiled, looking around himself at everyone. They were all happy and warm, taken care of. He’d never felt happier in his life. He had everything he wanted. He had a loving family to take care of, a warm home with a working roof over his head, animals to protect his home and a beautiful man to keep him warm at night, emotionally and physically. He looked down at Paul, finding the man’s bright blue starlight eyes staring back up at him. Paul was smiling, seeming to be feeling the same emotions as the cowboy.


	7. Ch. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl surprises Paul once again

After breakfast, Paul followed Daryl out to the barn. He would shadow the man for the day to meet the animals and learn his way around the ranch. As they walked across the field to the barn, he looked around. He recalled what Daryl had told him that first day they met and almost reeled when he remembered just how many animals Daryl had. How the hell was he going to take care of all these animals? He was very nervous now. What if he wasn’t good enough? 

“Dr. Greene had a computer program made t’keep up with all the different animals. I have my animals chipped as soon as they’re born, so I can keep an eye on them. He uses the chips t’keep track of every animal’s health. I’ll have ‘im give ya the site ‘n we’ll get ya a username ‘n password set up. Beth is pretty familiar with it, too, so ‘m sure she’ll be glad t’help ya get used to it.” Daryl pulled open the barn door and stepped inside. Almost immediately all the horses stuck their heads out, a few neighing in greeting.

Paul relaxed. That would be very helpful. He was worried he would have to memorize every animal’s name and trying to memorize almost three thousand names would’ve been way too hard. He stepped into the barn and smiled when he saw horses poking their heads out from their stalls. He couldn’t believe this was really happening for him. Daryl was truly making all his dreams come true.

Daryl introduced Paul to all the horses until they came to the last stall at the back of the barn. A tan and white young mare was sticking her head out and neighing at Daryl until he finally walked up to her and gave her a treat. “And this loud girl is my darlin Starlight.”

The vet walked up to her as well and smiled. “She’s gorgeous. Let me guess, you named her Starlight for her eyes?” Daryl chuckled and nodded, affirming Paul’s suspicions. “I don’t blame you.” He reached his hand for the mare and she leaned in to sniff his hand. She huffed out a breath and pressed her nose into the palm of his hand. Paul cooed softly. “She’s sweet.”

The cowboy chuckled. “She’s a spitfire, though.” He kissed the mare’s nose. “She’s my girl.”

Paul smiled and watched the cowboy. He spent the next two hours with Daryl, helping him get the horses out of the stalls and leading them out to the corrals. All of the horses seemed to like him, which was a relief. Once the horses were all out of the barn, he helped the cowboy clean out the stalls. Then, they moved onto the chicken coop which Beth was working out. It was a sizeable chicken coop. He helped Beth gather up the eggs while Daryl cleaned out the coop and spread some finely chopped up vegetables and dried fruit. The chickens ate it all up eagerly, cooing and clucking happily.

After the chickens, they moved onto the pigs. Paul smiled as he watched them squeal and oink, sniffing around in the mud. Daryl handed him some rubber boots that went to their knees. The vet slipped them on, nearly falling over. He blushed and murmured a thank you to the cowboy when he felt a large hand grab his arm to steady him. Daryl smiled at him teasingly, handed him some gloves and opened the gate to the pig pen. Paul followed him in, slipping the gloves on. Almost immediately the piglets surrounded them. Paul chuckled, reaching down to pet the piglets.

“How’s my girl today?” Daryl said as he bent down to pet a pink and black spotted pig. She looked quite big for such a young pig. “How much experience ya got with pigs? I think she might be pregnant.”

Paul carefully stepped over the piglets who were squealing for his attention. “I minored in farm animals when I was in school, so I know enough to get by.” He bent down to gently feel her belly. “I bet I could do an ultrasound to confirm, but her belly does feel very firm. Has she had a litter before?”

 

Daryl shook his head. “Nah, this would be her first.” 

“Alright. Let me grab my portable ultrasound-”

“I got a designated buildin fer ya.” Daryl interrupted him. “Ya don’t gotta go back ‘n forth fer yer equipment, just gotta take the animal to the infirmary. S’got all yer vet stuff in it. Meds, ultrasound, a surgery room. Anything it doesn’t have, tell me ‘n I’ll get it fer ya.”

Paul stood up, staring at him. “I’ll… have my own vet office here on the ranch?”

“‘Course. I ain’t gonna make ya drive back ‘n forth. C’mere, I’ll show ya.” The cowboy turned away and left the pig pen. Paul followed him, taking his rubber boots and gloves off and leaving them in the bin by the gate as Daryl did. The piglets whined and squealed at the gate. Paul smiled at them as Daryl chuckled. “We’ll be back guys.” He turned to Paul. “We’ll have to take horses. It ain’t far from the house, but it’s too far by foot.”

Paul froze. “... We’ll have to… ride?”

Daryl started walking away, smirking at the tension in Paul’s voice. “Yeah. You ever rode before?” He looked over his shoulder, watching as Paul quickly caught up with him.

“N-No. Never.”

“Well, yer gonna have to learn. Fer now, ya can ride Thunder with me.” The cowboy started walking down the dirt path to a corral Paul hadn’t been to yet.

“Thunder..?” He hadn’t met a horse named Thunder, yet. The name sounded ominous and almost terrifying. He followed Daryl to an iron corral. He wondered why this corral had iron instead of wood like the rest of the corrals on the property. Daryl stopped at the gate and leaned on it. He pushed his cowboy hat up so he could see better. “That’s Thunder.”

Paul looked at Daryl for a moment before he heard a loud, angry screech and jumped a bit. He looked over toward the sound and saw a very big, black Clydesdale stallion. His eyes widened, watching the stallion rear up and kick his hooves. Daryl let out a loud whistle and the stallion dropped down. He turned to them, then started racing toward them. Paul’s mouth gaped open at the speed of the Clydesdale. For a moment, he feared the stallion would jump over the iron fence and run away, but the stallion slowed to a stop, breathing heavily. Daryl chuckled, reaching over the fence to pet the stallion’s nose. 

“Thunder is my top racehorse. He’s got about five years of racin in ‘im before I retire ‘im. I’m gonna try t’mate ‘im with Starlight once she’s a bit older. They’ll make such a beautiful calf.” Daryl murmured as he continued to pet and rub the white of the Clydesdale’s nose. He looked at Paul and chuckled at the vet’s nervous look. “Don’t worry. He ain’t always aggressive. He just gets mad if I don’t ride ‘im every few days and take ‘im out of the corral. He gets a lil stir crazy. S’why I don’t keep ‘im in a stall. He likes t’run free. He’ll kick the barn wall in if I keep ‘im in a stall.”

Paul nodded. He slowly held his hand out, letting the Clydesdale sniff his skin before trying to pet him. Thunder accepted Paul easily enough. Daryl suddenly disappeared from his side. Paul looked around for him and saw him walking to the barn. “Where’re you going?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to be left alone with such a big horse. 

The cowboy laughed at him. “Can’t ride ‘im bareback. Gotta get a saddle and reins. You’ll be fine. Jus keep Thunder company.”

Thunder was so tall he could lean his head and neck over the iron fence and sniff at Paul’s hair. He lipped at the vet’s hair and chewed a bit. Paul leaned back, reaching up to pull his hair out of the stallion’s mouth. The stallion huffed and laid his heavy head on the vet’s shoulder. Paul bit his bottom lip nervously, giggling when the stallion started lipping at his neck. Daryl came back with a heavy saddle, biceps bulging from carrying the thick leather. Paul sighed, watching him. The stallion lifted his head and gave the vet a knowing look. 

“Nice t’see he gets along with someone other than me ‘n Aaron.” The cowboy thanked Paul when he opened the gate for him. Daryl kicked a stool closer to the stallion and climbed up on it. The vet watched him get the saddle buckled under Thunder and attach the reins. 

“Who’s Aaron?” The vet memorized everything the cowboy did. He’d be learning how to do it himself soon, so he may as well get used to it. 

Thunder took the bit into his mouth eagerly. A bit and saddle meant he was going to be ridden, so he didn’t argue. Daryl mounted the stallion easily. Paul tried not to focus on the way the cowboy’s leg swung over the broad back of the stallion. “Thunder’s racer.” The words didn’t process in the vet’s brain, he was too focused on the way Daryl’s legs spread and his thighs hugged the saddle. “Paul?”

“What?” Paul blinked, shaking his head a bit to get rid of dirty thoughts racing in his mind. The cowboy was holding his hand out to him. “Oh, right.” He took Daryl’s hand, climbing the stool first. Daryl let him use the stirrup to mount the horse. It was only after he was settled in the saddle that he realized he was in front of Daryl. The thought made him blush when he felt Daryl’s arms wrapped around him. 

The cowboy gave a gentle tap and clicked his tongue to get Thunder moving. Thunder snorted and turned. The gate was open, so he walked through it. He followed Daryl’s directions easily. They passed the corral and started down a trail between the other two corrals. The cowboy snapped the reins gently and Thunder started a trot. Paul gasped a bit, reaching down to grip Daryl’s knees so he didn’t fall off. The cowboy chuckled behind him and pressed his lips to Paul’s ear. 

“Relax. I won’t let ya fall. Thunder knows where t’go.” He murmured softly and released one hand from the reins to wrap his arm around Paul’s waist. “Just lean back ‘n enjoy the ride.”

Paul bit his bottom lip. The words sounded so dirty in the cowboy’s husky voice. He could feel his cock twitching eagerly. He leaned back against Daryl’s chest, sighing softly. He turned his head, nuzzling his nose under the man’s ear and breathing in his scent. He let his fingers trace patterns on the cowboy’s dirty jeans. “Do you always take your dates on romantic horseback rides?” He whispered teasingly. 

Daryl chuckled. “Not on Thunder. He’s very picky about who he lets ride him.” He teased back, letting his own hand tease just under Paul’s t-shirt. “Nah, yer the first. I ain’t dated in-” he paused as if he was trying to remember the last time he went out on a real date. “God, it’s been so long I don’t even remember. When I got this place I was so busy tryin ta fix it up I never went on a date. I lost my damn libido even. This mornin was the first time I’d been hard in years. Once I did have it fixed I’s too busy hirin people t’help me take care of it I still didn’t have any time t’date ‘r even have sex.”

The vet hummed a bit in understanding. Before he met Alex while he was in vet school, he hadn’t had time to date or even have sex with any one-night stands. He’d bought a whole bunch of toys instead to help keep him sated. Even after he’d gotten with Alex, it still hadn’t been enough. Something had been missing in their sex life. “This morning… I hadn’t felt anything like that in a very long time.” He whispered softly. He took Daryl’s hand into his own, folding their fingers together. “I could feel the heat, the passion, and the need. I felt wanted.” He sighed softly and pressed a light kiss to the side of Daryl’s jaw.

“I knew from the first I saw ya there was somethin special about ya.” The cowboy whispered. “I know we ain’t known each other long, but I wanna know what this is. I wanna know ya, both inside ‘n out. I wanna know what pisses ya off, what makes ya happy ‘n I wanna be yer shoulder t’cry on. I wanna see how far we can go ‘n how long we can make it and if we grow old t’gether.”  
No one had ever said these words to Paul. It almost felt like the cowboy was proposing, and Paul would’ve said yes in a heartbeat if the man was proposing. He knew the man was really only telling him what he wanted out of their relationship. To be honest, Paul wanted the same thing. “I want us to be honest and open with each other. No secrets and no lies. If I make you mad, tell me and I’ll do what I can to make it right. I’ll do the same for you. I want long showers together, good morning and good night kisses. I don’t ever want us to go to bed mad at each other.” His heart was racing. Were they really going to do this? Were they going to be in a relationship? He was still hurt by what Alex did to him, but he felt good and safe with Daryl.

The cowboy hummed behind him. “I agree with all that.” He sighed, nuzzling his nose into Paul’s hair. “Will you be mine?” If that was the cowboy’s way of asking Paul out, the vet loved it. He whispered out a soft yes and turned his head to kiss the cowboy deeply. Daryl groaned, kissing the vet back eagerly. The cowboy’s large, warm hand cupped his cheek and jaw, tongue slipping between Paul’s chapped lips. 

Paul whined, sucking the cowboy’s tongue deeper into his mouth. His fingernails dug into the cowboy’s jeans. He could feel the growing hard-on in Daryl’s jeans pressing into his ass and it made him whimper softly. The kiss lasted far longer than he was used to. When Daryl pulled away, he sucked in deep breaths, eyes glassy and cheeks flushed. Damn. His whole body tingled and felt warm. How long had they been riding now? He felt Thunder come to a stop and looked around. 

In front of them was a blue ranch style house. It wasn’t nearly as big as the main house, but it was still decently sized and had two doors on either side of an iron sign which said Dixon Estate Veterinarian Clinic. It was beautiful in Paul’s opinion. Daryl helped him climb down from Thunder’s saddle and the cowboy soon followed. They walked up to it as Daryl pulled out a key. The cowboy unlocked the door and they walked in. The cowboy flipped the lights on. 

“It ain’t never been used. I tried offerin it to Hershel, but he didn’t wanna leave his clinic in the city ‘n make all his patients drive all the way out here. So, it’s yer’s. You can take on more patients from the city if ya want, so long as yer main focus is my animals, ‘m fine with whatever ya do.”

The front lobby was painted a light grey with white tiled floors. The receptionist's desk was cherry oak wood with a front glass panel. Paul could totally advertise his special food and treat mixes int here. The chairs were a comfortable looking grey painted wood with thick, white cushions on the seat and back. Paul walked in slowly. The walls had pictures of ranch and farm animals in fields and corrals. There were three doors. Two of them labeled men’s and women’s restrooms and the final door labeled Exam Rooms. 

“S’got three exam rooms, a surgical suite ‘n a kennel in the back. Behind the house is a barn fer isolated animals.” The cowboy led Paul through the door and showed him the three exam rooms, then the surgical suite. “We’ll get everyone together t’get the place cleaned up ‘n ready fer ya t’use.” There were even a tiny kitchenette and a staff bathroom just off the surgical suite. “Ya can hire as many assistants as ya want, just let me know who ya want ‘n I’ll put them on the payroll.”

Paul had his very own vet office. “Daryl, I-I don’t… I don’t know what to say.” Everything was happening so fast it was making his head spin a bit. “How..? I don’t know how to repay you for all this. You’re making all my dreams come true.”

“Paul, you ain’t gotta repay me fer nothin. Take care of my animals ‘n I’ll be happy. And-” the cowboy blushed a bit “take care of me.”

The vet turned to look at him. “... We’ll take care of each other.” He smiled and took Daryl’s hands into his own. “Deal?”

Daryl smiled and brought Paul’s hands up to kiss the back of them. “Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I created a post on tumblr with a bunch of pictures to give you guys visuals of what things look like in the story! here's the link!
> 
> http://darylsbabygirl.tumblr.com/post/183037193404/daryl-dixon-estate


	8. Ch. 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Daryl make a bet.

Over the next week Paul, Maggie, Beth, and Rosita cleaned up the vet clinic and the vet made a list for Daryl of some things he thought he might need. The cowboy made sure he had everything within a day or two and put out an ad on the internet and in the newspaper that they were hiring for receptionists and vet techs. While he waited for people to call about interviews, he looked over the spreadsheet Hershel had made of all the animals and started training Beth on different procedures and how to use the equipment. Daryl’s favorite pig, Mary Bell, was indeed pregnant. With the ultrasound, he’d counted at least five piglets.

She was due to deliver them in about two and a half months. Beth was very excited. This was one thing she knew how to do since she’d lived on a farm previously. Paul was happy to have such an eager student. It certainly helped that she already knew how to read the spreadsheet. She’d helped her father develop it, so she was able to help Paul read it. He had yet to go out to the other ranches on the property, but he knew Daryl was going to make trips out to them over the next week. So, he would accompany the cowboy on them so he could check up on the animals and meet the other ranch hands.

Things were going just as well with Daryl. They spent their evenings curled up together in front of the fireplace talking, surrounded by the dogs. Paul had met the rest of the dogs over the last few days. There was a black Jack Russel Terrier named ‘Jack’ that slept in the barn with the horses to scare of rodents. The other dog was a black and brown Australian Shepard mix simply named Dog. He’d wondered onto the ranch one day and kinda just made himself at home in the corrals. He protected the horses from foxes and coyotes. 

They hadn’t done anything else sexual, but Paul was alright with that. They were still getting to know each other, and there were other ways to be intimate. They liked to take showers together and sometimes got in the hot tub on the back patio and drank wine or beer after dinner. Paul’s name had been added to the chore rotation, though he often took it upon himself to cook breakfast since he and Daryl were usually the first ones up. He, Maggie and Tara really got along together. When he wasn’t spending time with Daryl he was up in the loft with the girls watching a movie in the home theatre or going swimming with them in the pool.

He truly felt like one of the family. 

“Okay, try again.” Daryl chuckled as he bent over to pick up the cue ball. He could feel Paul’s eyes on his ass and it made him grin. They were both a little drunk off the whiskey tequila they’d been drinking. Paul didn’t know how to play pool, but he’d watched Daryl, Glenn, and Rosita play before and wanted to learn. 

The cowboy set the pool balls back up in their racked position and put the rack on its hook under the foot of the table. He walked Paul to the head of the table. “Like this…” He murmured into Paul’s ear as he positioned his hands on the cue stick. His chest was pressed right up against the vet’s back. “Now, feet spread apart.” He used his booted foot to nudge Paul’s left foot a bit further and back. “Bend over.” He pushed on Paul’s back to get him to bend over. The vet giggled, feeling the cowboy’s hips against his ass. “Pay attention.” He felt the man’s large hand smack his ass and gave a startled, soft moan. “Ya wanna hit the cue ball hard, but not so hard it goes flying off the table. Gotta put the right amount of ‘thrust’ into it.”

“Dixon, if I didn’t know you were talking about pool I’d say you’re trying to seduce me,” Paul smirked over his shoulder at the cowboy. Daryl smirked back. 

“Maybe I’m doin both.” His hips rocked into the vet’s, sending him into the edge of the table. Paul giggled, resting his forehead on the table. Daryl was very tempted to pull Paul’s pants down and bury his face between those tight cheeks, but he restrained himself. He chuckled and straightened the younger man up. “C’mon, make the shot.”

The vet tried to sober up, but he couldn’t stop the smile on his lips as he gave a few, small practice thrusts, then a harder one. The cue ball smacked into the first ball with a ‘crack’. It was like watching a cascade as the rest of the balls went flying in different directions with none of them sinking into pockets. Paul stood straight and watched them, pouting when he didn’t sink a single one. He heard Daryl chuckle behind him and a hand smacked into his ass again, making him jump. 

“Good shot, babe.” The cowboy murmured and walked to the table along the wall to take a sip from his glass of whiskey. He grabbed his own cue stick and walked back to the table. 

“How about we make a bet?” Paul smiled innocently and leaned against the table. 

The cowboy paused and looked at him. He smirked and leaned against the table as well. “Oh yeah? What kinda bet?” This would be such an easy win for him. 

“If you win, you can have me tomorrow night however you want.” Paul licked his lips. He could see just how eager Daryl was and it made him giddy. “And if I win, we do it how I want.” It would be their first time, so he would make sure it was slow, sweet and romantic. Daryl deserved that. After everything he’d done for Paul, the vet wanted to make sure the cowboy had an amazing first time.

Daryl grinned. “I’ll take ya up on that bet.” It was a weird way to do their first time, but he’d still make sure it was romantic and sweet. He wanted Paul to know just how much he cared about him. He didn’t want their first time to feel like they were fucking. He wanted to make love to Paul. 

Paul smirked. “Take your turn, Romeo.” He continued to lean against the table as Daryl walked around it, trying to find the best angle. He bit his bottom lip, watching the cowboy bend over the table and strike the cue into a stripe number 9, then the 11, then the 12 before he finally missed the number 10. “Not bad, Dixon.” The vet hummed as he walked to the small table to finish his glass of tequila. 

The cowboy raised an eyebrow. Why was Paul suddenly so confident when just a few minutes ago he’d been struggling to even hit the cue ball into the rack? He pulled up on of the stools along the wall to watch as the vet studied the table. He licked his lips as the vet bent over right in front of him and sank the plain number 6 ball. Okay. So maybe the younger man was better at billiards than he initially thought. 

Paul walked around the table again and bent over to sink the number 2 ball, then the number 5 ball, and the number 3 ball. Daryl’s lips were parted a bit in shock. Paul missed the number 1 ball and looked over at the cowboy. So far, they were tied evenly. Daryl would have to end this before Paul beat him. He stood up, getting serious and walking around the table to find his best angle. He got in his number 10 ball, but missed number 13. He swore softly to himself. 

“Bad luck, Papa.” Paul hummed and smacked the cowboy’s ass as he passed him. Daryl jumped and glared at the vet as he leaned over the table, smacking the cue ball into the number 1 ball almost expertly. Number 4 followed quickly, then 7, and finally the 8 balls. Daryl’s jaw was dropped open. He’d just showed Paul a few hours ago how to play billiards. Now the vet played like he’d been playing all his life. 

The vet smirked at him, taking their cue sticks and walked to the wall to put them up. Daryl stared at the table where only his 13, 14 and 15 balls remained. “I-I thought ya never played before?”

Paul chuckled as he walked back up to him. “I haven’t. I’m just a very fast learner. So, tomorrow we’re gonna have a nice little dinner, then maybe a movie in the theatre and I’ll make sweet, slow love to you.” He held Daryl’s hands, leaning up on his tiptoes to kiss him sweetly. The cowboy blushed and nodded, smiling shyly.

 

The next day he interviewed several people for the receptionist position and hired two of them on, an older woman named DeAnna and a younger woman named Jessie. The day after he interviewed several more people as vet techs and hired another two on, two men named Bob and Ezekiel. With his vet clinic staffed, for the most part, he could finally open it up for business. He wasn’t going to take in any animals from outside the farm just yet until he got into a good routine with his techs and the many farm animals under his care.

While he was gone with Daryl to visit the other ranches on the property he had Beth help Zeke and Bob check over the rest of the animals on their ranch. The other ranches were too far for horseback riding, so they took Daryl’s truck. Paul loaded the back up with some supplies in case he needed to do any procedures on the other ranches. They didn’t have a whole vet office as he did, but Daryl made sure each ranch had a designated area in each barn for emergency procedures. 

“Ready?” Daryl asked him as he walked up to the driver’s side. Paul nodded and they got into the truck. The cowboy started it up. Beth waved to them as they pulled away and took the trail between the corrals. They passed the vet office and the vet smiled when he saw Zeke leading one of the cows into the isolation barn. “Can I ask ya somethin?”

“Hm?” Paul looked at the cowboy. “Sure.” He smiled and took Daryl’s hand. He really enjoyed holding the cowboy's hand. His were small and were practically swallowed by the older man’s hand. It gave him a sense of security like laying in the man’s arms at night gave him. 

“Why… didn’t we have sex last night? Ain’t that what our bet was?” The older man sounded so shy and almost disappointed. “Was ya… too drunk ‘n don’t remember?”

Paul blinked at the man. “N-No, I remember the bet. It was… it was a drunken bet, Daryl. I didn’t want us to have sex just because it was a bet. When we have sex, I want us to both be ready. And… I don’t want it to just be sex. I want us to make love. It’ll be your first time, right?” He recalled Daryl saying he’d never had sex with a man before. Not penetrative sex at least. He had a couple drunken blow jobs behind dark alleys before he’d moved to the ranch, but that’d been about it. 

Daryl relaxed. He smiled and nodded. “Yeah, it will be. I’m glad it’ll be with you. I know you’ll make it good fer me.” He looked over at Paul with loving eyes. “I’m ready. I want us to be more.”

The younger man felt his cheeks heat up. He still wasn’t used to how Daryl spoke from the heart so easily. It never failed to make Paul feel like a teenager again. He smiled and kissed the back of Daryl’s hand. “Me, too.”

The cowboy focused on the road again. Paul hummed along to the radio as he watched the fields go by. Daryl stopped a few times to check the fences and mark on his phone where the damages were. When he got back in after the third time, Paul asked him how he knew what part of the fence to mark. Daryl smiled and held his phone out. 

“I’ve divided the different properties into corners. Our ranch is on the South West corner of the land. Each corner is divided into separate quadrants. The house is on quadrant B. Thunder’s corral is on quadrant C. The ranch we’re goin to is in the North West corner. This fence is along quadrant D of the North West corner ranch.” Paul blinked, staring at the screen with his eyebrows furrowed in somewhat confusion. “So, I put in the North West chat that the fence along quadrant D on trail A needs to be fixed. There are ten trails on the land, so I’ve also alphabetized them. You’ll get used to it after a while.” The cowboy chuckled and put his phone back in the console and put the truck into drive so they could continue on. 

Overall it took almost two hours to get to the North West ranch. Paul had forgotten just how much land Daryl owned and he only used a small percentage of it. The rest was cordoned off to preserve the wildlife or deemed too dangerous due to steep, rocky hills and shallow canyons. When they finally arrived, a woman with short grey hair greeted them on the porch of the ranch house. It was quite as big as their house. It was only one story and made of brick instead of wood like their house, but still big enough for five or six people to live in. Across the dirt road from the house was the large barn, just as big as their own. The set up of this ranch was similar to how Daryl had his ranch set up with three different corrals for the horses to run free in, a large chicken coop, a pig pen, and a garden to grow vegetables in. 

Paul got out and followed Daryl up to the porch. “Mornin, Carol.” The cowboy greeted the woman. He hugged her tightly, smiling when she kissed his cheek. 

“Good morning to you, Pookie.” She smiled at Paul. “Who’s this?”

Pookie? Paul shifted a bit tensely. Who was this woman? Daryl took his hand and smiled. “This is Paul. He’s the new vet and my boyfriend.” He gently pulled Paul closer. 

Carol smiled and held her hand out. “Nice to meet you.”

The vet smiled and shook her hand, still curious about their relationship. He hadn’t known Daryl was close to other people on the land. He’d seen him hug everyone at their ranch, but they were all family. “You, too.”

“Carol owned a ranch back when I first inherited this land. Her husband ran it to the ground, so she had to sell it off. She came t’me and taught me a bit about ranching. When I could finally afford help, she was the first one I hired on. She now takes care of this ranch for me alongside a few others. She’s been like a mother t’me.” Daryl looked at Carol with adoration, but nothing like how he looks at Paul. 

Paul smiled more and relaxed. He held Daryl’s hand tightly, leaning into his side. “I’m gonna go check on the pigs first.” He kissed Daryl’s cheek, giggling when the cowboy pulled him close to kiss him on the lips before finally letting him go. He walked around the side of the barn to where he knew the pigs were. 

“Maggie was right. He is very sweet.” Carol smiled at Daryl teasingly. 

The cowboy blushed and chuckled. “You two been gossipin about me again?” He climbed up the steps and followed her inside. He shut the door behind himself and followed her into the kitchen. He settled himself at the bar while she grabbed down a glass and some tea out of the fridge. 

“What else are we going to talk about? Beth’s new boyfriend Zane at the North East ranch? That’s old news, Pookie.” She handed him the glass and he drank half of it down in a few gulps. “She said you met him at Gander Mountain?“

“Yeah. He’d been abandoned on the side of the road by his boyfriend.” He wouldn’t tell her the whole story. That was Paul’s business. 

“Hm. How rude.” She poured herself a glass and sipped from it. “So, onto business. I got your message about the fence in Quadrant D. It’s coyotes. We’ve been getting an awful lot of them over the last couple of months. They’ve killed a few of the cattle. I don’t know if they’re migrating because of the weather or if maybe there was a grass fire deep in the field.”

Daryl nodded, making a note of it in his phone. “I’ll look into it. Turn the electric fence on. See if that’ll keep ‘em out.” He normally didn’t like using electric fences. Sometimes cattle got stuck in the fences or even a horse on the rare occasion; but if it meant keeping coyotes and foxes off the property, then they’d use it. “Anything else?”

“Trixie had a calf, so the pairing with Dipshit was a success.” Carol smiled. Trixie was one of the racehorses on the ranch. She’d been Daryl’s favorite and still was until Starlight came along. Dipshit wasn’t a racehorse and wasn’t very smart, but he was a powerful, fast stallion. 

“S’good. Let's hope the calf gets Trixie’s smarts ‘n Dipshit’s speed.” He finished his tea and Carol refilled it. 

“Take it out to your hubby.” She teased, chuckling at the blush and glare the cowboy gave her. “Pookie, I could hear wedding bells just watching you two walk up, so don’t give me that look. I want details about the wedding as soon as you give him a ring.”

Daryl scoffed, though the thought of marrying Paul did make his heart race and his stomach flutter with giddy butterflies. He carried the glass outside and smiled. Dixon-Rovia Estate. It didn’t sound too bad.


	9. Ch. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul finds out why Daryl is terrified of going to the city.

Paul stepped out of the pig pen and took off the muddy rubber boots and gloves. It was just like at their ranch. There was a bin of boots and gloves right by the gate that he put the boots in. He smiled when he saw Daryl walking over with a glass of iced tea for him. He took it and gulped half of it down gratefully. For early October it was still very hot out. Daryl leaned in and kissed his hair and leaned over the fence to pat the fat belly of a pig laying in the mud. There weren’t any piglets, but the fat pig was definitely pregnant. 

“I’d say she’s three months along. Definitely due next month, so I’ll have to make a trip out here, maybe spend a few nights to make sure she delivers safely.” Paul smiled and finished the tea and licked his lips. He grinned when he spotted the cowboy’s eyes watching his tongue.

Daryl nodded, though it was pretty obvious he didn’t quite process what the vet had said. “We’ll make another trip out here to check on ‘er ‘n if she’s close we’ll stay a few days. Carol’s helped pigs, cows ‘n horses deliver babies before, but I don’t think she can do emergency c-sections. This’ll be Daisy’s first litter, so I’d feel more comfortable havin you here just in case.”

The vet chuckled as the cowboy pulled him close. He wrapped his own arms around the man’s waist, leaning into the embrace. Daryl was pretty much repeating what he’d said himself, but he didn’t correct the cowboy. Now that they were both ready to take their relationship a step further, the sexual tension between them was much thicker. He leaned in to kiss the cowboy, but a banging on the barn wall on the other side of the pig pen made them both look over at it. “What was that?”

Daryl growled. “If there’s a horse still in the barn ‘m gonna be pissed.” He hated leaving horses in their stalls all day. He preferred to let them roam around for the day and if they refused to return to the barn, he’d let them stay in the corral. He let Paul go so he could walk round to the front of the barn and head inside. 

Paul hurried after him, setting the empty drinking glass on a barrel and went into the barn with Daryl. They walked to the stall at the end of the barn where the pig pen was on the other side of the wall. A white spotted Colorado ranger poked his head out from the stal. One of his pupils was lopsided and the other was clouded. The iron slate on the stall door said ‘Dipshit’. Daryl opened the stall door and the horse limped out. Paul could tell the horse was blind in one eye and his back left leg was shorter than the other. 

He watched the cowboy grab a set of split reins and carefully put them around the horse’s nose and neck. He started leading Dipshit out, but the horse’s front right leg tripped over a brick that was sticking out of the barn floor that he couldn’t see. Daryl swore out, wrapping his arm around the horse’s shoulder and using his own weight to steady the horse. Paul’s heart skipped a beat, worried the horse and his boyfriend would both tumble to the ground. He relaxed when the horse righted himself. 

“What the fuck?” The fury in the cowboy’s voice made Paul rush over to him. 

“What? What’s wrong?” He stopped next to the older man and followed his gaze to the horse’s knees. There were fresh wounds and some scarring on the near legs that obviously hadn’t healed right. “Why haven’t those been looked at?” He immediately knelt down. Dipshit leaned his muzzle down to curiously sniff and lip at the top of Paul’s head, though he missed by a few inches and ended up lipping at open air. “These ones on his knees are definitely fresh, so I can wrap those.”

Daryl growled. “He heard my voice ‘n knew I was here. So he was banging his hoof on the wall t’tell me he was in his stall. He ain’t the smartest horse, but he’s got his own smarts. He recognizes certain voices ‘n his scent is a lot stronger since he’s half blind. I want ‘im out in the pasture.”

 

Paul stood up. “Daryl, I gotta look at his legs first. Let’s bring him out into the smaller corral so I can work on his legs.” The cowboy nodded in agreement and they led Dipshit out close to the truck in the sunlight. 

Carol looked up from the garden where she’d been working. She looked confused when she saw Daryl leading the limping horse away from the barn. She got up and walked over to them. “Was he in the barn?” She looked at the horse in concern. When her eyes landed on his knees, she let out a soft gasp.

“Who’s in charge of his care?” Daryl growled. “I wanna talk to ‘em.”

“Sophia was during the summer, but now Simon is since Sophia started school again. What was he doing in the barn?” It was easy to tell she didn’t know what had happened to Dipshit.

Daryl glared at her. “S’what I would like t’know?! Where’s Simon?!” Dipshit huffed and turned his muzzle to try to comfort the cowboy. “And how is it ya don’t know what is happenin on this ranch!?” The horse’s nose pressed into the cowboy’s neck and Daryl lifted his hand to pet Dipshit’s jaw. “S’okay, buddy. I don’t mean t’scare ya.”

“Then keep your voice down.” Paul glared at the cowboy. “Yelling isn’t going to fix his knees.” He pulled his leather case out of the back of the truck and knelt down in front of the Colorado Ranger to get a closer look at his knees. “Carol can’t know every single little thing happening on the land. She’s only one person, just like you. How many times has me, Beth or Maggie told you something is wrong that you didn’t know about?”

The cowboy got a look of shame on his face and looked away. Carol smiled and reached to rub the horse’s muzzle. “It’s okay, Daryl. I know you’re not mad at me. You just don’t like seeing these precious, beautiful animals being hurt. I’ll go find Simon for you, okay, Pookie?” She kissed Daryl’s cheek and walked away.

“When you yell at Simon, do it away from Dipshit, got it?” Paul whispered as he started cleaning the horse’s knees. “Yelling only makes horses nervous, especially horses with mental deficits like this beautiful baby has. He can tell when your upset and it makes him upset. These animals are very attached to you, Daryl because you take good care of them and you make sure others take good care of them. I understand you’re mad. I am, too, but you can’t let your emotions control your voice.” He gently rubbed some homemade salve into the horse’s knees, then wrapped some wet gauze around them to protect the wounds. “I don’t want him in the stall for a couple weeks. He’ll keep bumping into the walls and reopen his wounds.” 

Daryl nodded silently. No one had ever been able to calm him like this before. Usually, when someone pissed him off he was pissed for days to come. Paul had calmed him within minutes. He smiled a bit, pressing his cheek into Dipshit’s jaw as he watched Paul work. The vet stood up and smiled at him. The cowboy felt his heart skip a beat at the smile Paul gave him. He was so deeply in love with the man.

“He’ll be okay. I’ll show Carol how to care for the wounds and I’ll come back in a couple weeks to check on him, okay?” He reached up to pet the cowboy’s cheek. “Kick Simon’s ass, okay?” He whispered when he saw Carol walking back over with the other man in tow. 

Daryl smiled and leaned in to kiss Paul sweetly. “Yes, sir.” He gave Paul Dipshit’s reins and the vet led the horse away. 

Carol caught up to the vet to show him a smaller corral for Dipshit so a big area wouldn’t freak him out. “Thank you for talking Daryl down like that. He’s always a sweet man, but when it comes to the animals he gets furious when something goes wrong.”

Paul smiled. “It was nothing. I’ve only known him since the summer, but I think I’ve gotten to know him really well. We have long talks at night and drunken talks on Saturdays.” He chuckled, remembering their drunken billiards. “To be honest I’m a little surprised he didn’t yell at me to stay out of it, but knowing that he listens to me and trusts my open really tells me a lot about just how close we are.” 

The short-haired woman smiled. “I can tell he’s very happy with you. His eyes have got this shine to them and I’ve never seen him blush or smile this much. It’s nice.” The vet smiled back and they giggled to each other as they continued to gossip about how adorably shy the cowboy was.

“Mr. Dixon, what can I do for you?” Simon spit out a wad out tobacco and Daryl glanced down at the disgusting black spot on the dirt and gravel. 

“Fer one, keep yer damn spit in a fuckin tin can. I don’t care if ya smoke ‘r chew tobacco, but keep it off my damn land.” Daryl kicked dirt over the wet spot. “Why the fuck was Dipshit still in the barn? You been workin here fer-what-three years? Ya should fuckin know by now none of the horses stay in the barn unless ordered by a damn vet!”

“The horse is a fuckin retard, man. Sometimes I can’t get him out of the stall, so I leave him in there.” Simon shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t know why you even let him live when he was born. He can barely walk and barely see, he’s so fuckin clumsy he gets hurt all the damn time-”

Daryl’s fist connected with Simon’s cheek, sending the man to the ground on his side. “I let him live because he can still eat and drink and live a good life! If Hershel had suggested I put him down, then I would have! You’re fired, Simon! Get the fuck off my property!”

Simon growled and pushed himself up off the ground. He tackled Daryl to the ground and punched him back. Daryl growled and shoved the other man off. He rolled over and straddled the man’s stomach, fist connecting with his face again and again. Simon’s fist met with the cowboy’s side several times and he shoved him off. He got up while Daryl knelt on the ground, hand pressed into his aching side. Simon got one kick in before he was tackled to the ground by Paul. 

The vet punched the other man hard enough to knock him unconscious. He got up, hair falling out of the bun he had it in. “What the hell happened?” He turned to Daryl, walking over as Carol gently helped the cowboy up off the ground. 

Daryl groaned. He definitely had a broken rib. “Fucker called Dipshit a retard and said I should’ve killed him at birth. I punched ‘im ‘n fired him, but then he tackled me. He got some good hits in.”

Paul eyed the cowboy up and down. “I can see that.” He leaned down to pick up the cowboy’s dirty, worn hat. “C’mon. Let’s get you inside so I can get a look at you.” He gently wrapped an arm around Daryl’s waist to help him walk inside. 

Carol opened the screen door for them and told Paul where the downstairs bathroom was. She pulled out her phone and called around to the other ranches to let them know Simon had been fired. She spotted Abraham coming from around the farm. “Abe! Can you get that piece of trash off the ranch?” She pointed to the unconscious man on the ground int he driveway. Abe raised a thumb up to her and walked over. 

Paul shut the door and settled Daryl on the edge of the tub. “Take your shirt off.” He set the man’s hat on the sink and opened the mirrors to find the medicine. He got down some pain killers, isopropyl alcohol and some cotton swabs. 

He sat on the edge of the tub next to the cowboy and dipped the swab into the alcohol. The cowboy’s side was already bruising over his ribs. Daryl winced when the alcohol covered cotton touched the corner of his eyebrow. “He’s lucky I didn’t kill him,” Paul whispered as he cleaned each cut on the cowboy’s face. 

Daryl watched the vet’s serious face. “I wanted to. People who treat animals like that don’t deserve t’live.”

Paul hummed a bit. “I agree, but… anyone who hurts someone I care about is just wishing to be killed.” He put butterfly bandaids on Daryl’s eyebrow and chin. “Here’s some painkillers. I can’t bind your ribs, they’ll just have to heal by themselves. If they still hurt in a couple months I’ll have to do an x-ray.” He wasn’t going to suggest Daryl go into the city. He still didn’t know how dangerous it was. That was the one subject Daryl didn’t like to touch on. The only way he’d suggest they go into the city is if it was an extreme emergency. 

The vet stood up and threw away the used cotton swabs. He put up the remaining unused bandaids and the bottle of isopropyl alcohol. He turned to put the cowboy’s hat on his head, but Daryl’s arm wrapped around him and pulled him close. Daryl buried his face in Paul’s stomach, sighing softly. Paul blinked, staring down at the cowboy. He reached his free hand down to thread his fingers through the man’s sweaty, dirty hair. 

“Daryl? Are you okay?” Paul frowned when he saw the cowboy’s shoulders shaking and felt warm wetness seeping through his cotton shirt. “Baby, what’s wrong?” He stepped back an inch and knelt down so he was level with Daryl’s face. “Are you in pain?”

“No-I mean, yeah, but that ain’t-” The cowboy swallowed thickly. He hadn’t been in a fist fight like that since Merle had been alive. The last time he’d been in a fist fight like that had been in an alley behind a bar. Merle and his buddies had found out he was gay and had ganged up on him while his brother stood on the side lines. The pain in his ribs and the sight of the blood on the cotton swabs had brought back too many memories. 

It was the night his brother had been killed. 

“The last time I got in a fight like this… there were a lot more men. My brother, Merle… he was in a gang called The Riot of the Blood Red Wings. They’re very violent people, racist, homophobic, misogynistic… they run rampant in the streets of Atlanta, kidnapping women and children, spreading drugs ‘n guns. My brother was close to their leader, Phillip Blake. When they beatin on me, Merle only watched at first, then he jumped in ‘n tried t’save me. They turned on ‘im… said he owed Blake fer all the drugs he used ‘n the guns he broke. I got away, but… Merle- I-I wanted t’stay ‘n help, but Merle kept yellin at me t’run.” Daryl sobbed, lowering his head. “I inherited Merle’s debt… anytime I left my house I’s jumped by Blake’s men. Dunno how many times I wound up in the hospital with broken ribs, concussions ‘n cuts all over my body. When I got the letter that my uncle died ‘n I inherited this land… I moved here right away.”

Paul listened intently. He briefly wondered why Blake’s men hadn’t just followed Daryl to the ranch, but he was thankful they hadn’t. Even after all these years, Daryl was still terrified of the city. He’d lost the only family he had left in that city and nearly lost his own life. The vet cooed softly, reaching up to gently brush the tears away. He leaned up, wrapping his arms around the cowboy’s shoulders. He wondered if Phillip Blake and his gang still ran free in the streets. He kissed the cowboy’s hair and whispered soothing words to him. 

Daryl clung to him for several minutes before he finally calmed down and released his tight hold on the vet. He leaned back, sniffling softly. Paul smiled at him, fingers brushing the wet streaks off the cowboy’s cheeks. The cowboy smiled at him shyly, obviously thoroughly embarrassed. Paul kissed him sweetly and stood up. He helped the cowboy up and back into his shirt. He buttoned the dirty dress shirt up for him and put his hat on his head. 

“Come on, handsome. Let’s go have dinner. We’ll stay here tonight and head out to the North West farm in the morning.” Paul kissed him again and opened the bathroom door. 

Daryl followed him out. They had dinner with the ranch hands and took a shower in the guest bathroom. There was an unused guest room that they stayed in. Paul held Daryl through the night, singing softly to him to help him get to sleep. It was a bit harder for him to fall asleep, thinking about his onw teenaged years, defending himself from homophobic gangsters on the streets. He’d had a better chance protecting himself, though, since he’d been practicing self-defense and Judo. Daryl may be strong but against a full group of drugged up gangsters… it was no wonder he was terrified of the city.


	10. Ch. 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul's insecurities rise up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: I meant to add in a credit, I'd like to thank TheSparrow93 for the idea to help me jump start this chapter! Thanks to them this chapter was written!

Daryl and Paul pulled up to the northeastern ranch in the truck. Three large dogs ran up to the truck, barking, and tails wagging excitedly. The cowboy got out, chuckling when he was immediately pounced on by the Bulldogs and Labrador retriever. He leaned back against the truck, hands petting the dogs’ heads and getting slobber all over himself. Paul got out, smiling when four tiny goats trotted up to him. Each had small bell wrapped loosely around the goats’ necks. The vet smiled. 

“Well, hello there.” He knelt down, hands petting along the goat’s neck. “What’re your names?”

A pretty man with curly red hair and pale skin walked over. He had a very friendly smile on his face and kind doe, brown eyes. “The brown one with the white moon shaped mark on her head is Luna. She’s the oldest.” He had on a dark brown cowboy hat, dirty jeans, and a short sleeved button down shirt. “The smallest one is Baby. The white and black one is Spirit and the brown and black one is Dawn. They’re Nigerian Dwarves.” What brought the look all together was the thin, black rectangular glasses on his nose.

Paul looked up and smiled. He stood up. “Hi. I’m Paul.” He couldn’t help blushing a bit at the sweet smile the cowboy gave him. He could appreciate beauty. 

“Eric Raleigh.” He shook Paul’s hand with a firm grip before letting go. His eyes caught sight of Daryl coming around the front of the truck. “Daryl! Look at you!” He hurried past Paul to wrap his arms around the taller cowboy’s shoulders and press several kisses to his cheek. Daryl chuckled, arms wrapping around the smaller man’s waist. “Did you grow your hair out? You’ve even got a sexy salt and pepper beard going on!”

Paul blinked as he watched them. One kiss to the cheek was fine, but several kisses and hugging so close for so long was a bit too much. He bit his bottom lip and tried to focus on the tiny Nigerian Dwarf Goats bleating up at him for his attention. He knelt back down to pet the goats, trying to ignore the flirtatious words coming from Eric and Daryl almost soaking up all the attention. He swallowed thickly when he heard them walking up to him. 

“So, this is the new vet Beth has been bragging to Zane about.” Eric smiled as they stopped in front of Paul. 

The older cowboy smiled down at Paul with such pride and affection. “He is. He’s been amazin.” He held his hand out to help the vet up. 

Paul blushed and took the man’s hand, standing up. The goats got bored of him and trotted away, chasing each other’s tails. “I’m not that good. I haven’t worked with farm animals in a while, so it’s going to be a bit rough at first.”

Eric chuckled and patted the vet’s shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” He paused when he looked over Paul’s shoulder, seeing a red truck coming down the dirt road toward the house. “Who’s that?”

Dayrl and Paul both turned around as the red truck came to a stop behind Daryl’s old truck. The older cowboy smiled. “Aaron, he’s Thunder’s rider.” He let go of Paul’s hand so he could walk around the truck and greet the racer. 

Paul glanced over at Eric, trying to keep the jealous heat out of his eyes. It was hard when the younger cowboy gave him such a sweet, innocent smile. He bit down a huff of pettiness and focused back on the man stepping out of the truck. His and Eric’s jaws both dropped open when a tall, tanned man with curly brown hair and a neat beard stepped out. He smiled and grasped Daryl’s hand and they hugged, patting each other’s backs. His shoulders and biceps barely fit the shirt he wore and the jeans hugged his ass so tightly. 

How many fucking beautiful men work on this land?!

Daryl led the taller cowboy over to them. Aaron smiled, pushing his dirty white cowboy hat open so he could get a proper look at Paul and Eric. “This is Aaron. Aaron, this is Paul, the new vet, ‘n Eric is the manager of this ranch.”

Eric’s cheeks were bright red as he whispered a soft greeting to the cowboy. Paul shook the man’s hand, smiling politely. “So… uh… what are you doing here?’ Eric asked.

Aaron smiled. “I’m gonna be moving into this ranch house. I sold my house in the city so I could focus on ranching and riding, so Daryl hired me on as more than Thunder’s rider.” He grinned at Daryl excitedly. “My house sold faster than I thought so I didn’t get a chance to tell Daryl until now. I hope that’s okay.”

The older cowboy chuckled and patted the rider’s shoulder. “It’s no problem. I’m happy fer ya, Aaron. Did ya stop by the ranch t’see Thunder?”

“Of course, I did. He’d be mad at me if I didn’t.” The handsome cowboy laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, I got the dates for the Lone Star Horse Derby this year.” He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his phone. He and Daryl stepped closer and started talking racing.

The vet and ranch manager looked at each other. Eric smiled a bit. “Sorry if I flirted with Daryl too hard. I’m a flirtatious person, but I’ll tone it down with Daryl.”

Paul smiled a bit. “I appreciate that. He’s a very handsome man, so I understand the urge to flirt with him.” They both giggled as the dogs whined and walked around them for attention. “Aaron is very cute. I bet you two would make a cute couple.”

“Omg, you think so?” The rancher manager’s cheeks turned red as he glanced over at the rider shyly. He reached up to push his glasses up his nose. 

The vet nudged him and nodded. “Oh, totally.” He wasn’t trying to distract Eric from flirting with Daryl. He did truly think they would be cute together. He just wanted everyone to be happy, even if he didn’t really know them, yet. “Let’s have dinner tonight, just the four of us. Make it a double date.” Paul grinned excitedly. He and Daryl had never done a double date before. He’d tried planning double dates with Maggie and Glenn or Tara and Rosita before. But, with Maggie’s pregnancy, she was always double the tired and Rosita and Tara wanted to have double dates within the city. 

“Oh! We could do an evening picnic! There’s a cute little river a few miles North! We could do fried chicken-”

Paul smiled widely, feeling so very excited now. “Yes! I know a great recipe for dinner rolls!” 

“Wait until you taste my potato salad! It’s to die for!” Eric took Paul’s hand in his and they started walking up to the ranch house.

Daryl and Aaron watched the two men walk away. “Why do I got a feelin they’re plannin somethin?”

Aaron chuckled, smiling shyly. His eyes were drawn down to Eric’s ass. “I don’t know, but… uh… Eric’s the manager, right?”

The older cowboy nodded. “Yeah. He’s been here fer about six years. I made ‘im the manager last year when Glenn ‘n Maggie got married ‘n Glenn moved in with us at the main ranch.” He put a hand on Aaron’s back, leading him to the ranch house. “He’s really good. He loves animals a lot, almost too much.” Daryl laughed. “Every time we have to put down an animal or sell them to other ranchers he cries. It’s really sweet.”

Aaron smiled warmly. “Really?” He followed the older cowboy into the house through the kitchen door to where Paul and Eric were talking about food for the picnic. 

Daryl smiled and hugged Paul from behind. “Baby, don’t you got animals to go see?”

Paul tensed a bit. Eric had apologized for flirting with the older cowboy so hard, but Daryl had been soaking up all that attention. “Um… yeah… you’re right.” He stepped out of Daryl’s embrace. “Sorry, Eric, I have to go check on the horses and pigs.”

Eric smiled apologetically. “It’s okay. We’ll talk later about the picnic.” He knew what Paul was upset about and felt terrible since he’d been the reason for it. “Oh, would you mind checking on Lily in the barn first? She refused to leave her stall today and she’s pregnant, so I think she might be in labor.” Paul nodded with a soft ‘sure’ and walked to the back door.

“Picnic?” Daryl raised an eyebrow. He turned to watch Paul leave back out the door, frowning that the vet hadn’t kissed him before leaving. Had he done something wrong to upset the vet?

Eric smiled brightly. “Yes! We want to have a picnic as double da-” he paused as he blushed and looked over at Aaron, realizing he would have to actually ask the racer out. “Um… that is-”

Aaron blushed and chuckled. “How about we get to know each other a bit first before we try a double date.” The young rancher giggled a bit and nodded. 

Daryl grinned and left the kitchen to let them talk and let Eric give the racer a tour of the house. He let the screen door fall shut behind him and looked around as he fished his cigarettes out of his shirt pocket. He shook the pack to get a cigarette out and put it between his lips. He lit it up, spotting Paul coming out of the barn with the Nigerian Dwarves following him out. He stepped down off the porch and walked over to the vet. 

“Lil’s sweating at her flanks and acting restless. She can’t stay in one place. I’ve also spotted small puddles of urine around her stall. She’s in labor.” Paul pulled off some gloves, tossing them into a trash barrel by the barn door. It would be his first delivery so he was very excited. He smiled at Daryl tensely, still. 

The older cowboy noticed the tense smile and the dull look in the vet’s eyes. “Paul, did I hurt ya?” He couldn’t remember saying or doing anything. Things had been going so good between them, at least he thought so. “If I said ‘r did somethin to upset ya, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to.”

Paul shook his head. “No. I-” he sighed. He recalled their conversation back when they first together riding Thunder. They’d promised to be honest and true to each other. So, he swallowed down his insecurity. “I just… I didn’t like how Eric was flirting with you and you just… seemed to really enjoy the attention. It made me jealous.”

“Oh… fuck, I’m sorry, baby.” Daryl stepped closer to the vet, tossing his cigarette down into a smaller barrel filled with water. “That’s jus how Eric is. He’s flirty ‘n touchy. He’s been around fer a long time, but… I’ll tell ‘im t’stop. I didn’t mean t’hurt ya.” He brought his hands up to cup Paul’s cheeks. “He did ask me out once, but I wasn’t interested in ‘im like that. He was the first to show me affection like that, so yeah, I soak it up, but… I won’t anymore. I’ll talk to him.”

The vet smiled, leaning into Daryl’s touch. “No, it’s okay. Eric and I already talked about it. He said he wouldn’t flirt with you anymore. Besides, I think he and Aaron are gonna get together.” He brought his own hands up to the older man’s broad chest. “Thank you for apologizing and acknowledging my feelings.” He felt a lot better now. He wrapped his arms around Daryl’s waist, hugging him close and tight and burying his face against the man’s shoulder.

Daryl smiled, wrapping his own arms around the smaller man’s shoulders. “Of course, baby. Thank you fer tellin me.” He kissed Paul’s hair, breathing in the smell of his shampoo. “I love you. I never wanna hurt you.”

Paul looked up at him, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. “Daryl…” They’d never said the words to each other, but Paul knew they felt them. “I love you, too,” he whispered. He leaned up and kissed the cowboy deeply.

The older rancher sighed and kissed back, fingers gripping the back of Paul’s head to keep him close. The vet whimpered. His chest felt warm and full. He felt tingles all over his body. He didn’t think he’d ever felt this before, not with any man he’d ever been with. He was happy. He was so happy. He had everything he could ever want; a sexy cowboy who loved him, his own vet clinic, a family to support him and a beautiful home. 

So why did it feel like something could go wrong soon?

 

They decided to have the picnic near the barn so Paul could keep an eye on Lily. Paul and Eric had worked together to put the picnic meal together. They found they actually had a lot in common. They’d both grown up being bullied and took self-defense classes. While Paul had been raised by his grandmother up until she died when he was sixteen, Eric had been raised by his aunt until her death when he was eighteen. They both very much enjoyed cooking and shared recipes and tips. They even talked about selling homemade dog treats in the vet clinic and online.

Lily gave birth around twelve at night. He’d left her alone for the most part as most mares didn’t like to be disturbed while giving birth. The head had gotten stuck for a moment, so Paul had reached in with gloved hands and gently pulled on the head. The rest of the foaling went beautifully. The placenta was delivered with no problems. His examination of the foal showed the foal was a couple of weeks early, but the foal showed no signs of birth defects. He helped the foal find the mare’s teet and latch on. 

With the mare and foal deemed perfectly healthy, Paul left the stall, making sure the stall door was latched and locked. He washed his hands and arms in the sink by the barn door and left the barn. He walked back over to where the others were waiting for him on the picnic blanket. He settled down and leaned in to kiss the older cowboy sweetly. Daryl asked him if everything went fine and he nodded. 

“Everything went perfectly. The foal’s head got stuck for a moment, so I had to help her, but other than that they’re both fine and healthy. The foal is feeding now and the mare is relaxing.” Paul smiled and leaned against the older man. Daryl held him close, fingers petting through his hair. He looked over at Aaron and Eric who were in their own little world. “They look like they’re having fun.” He whispered. 

Daryl smiled and nodded. “Yeah. They’ve been talking fer the last twenty minutes about the pride convention comin into the city next week. I think they’re wantin t’go as a couple.”

“Atlanta gets pride conventions?” Paul hadn’t known that. He hadn’t been to a pride convention in years. He’d wanted to go to the one in California last year, but Alex said it was too cliche and was scared someone would bomb the convention center. “Hm. Maybe I’ll go with them, bring Tara and Rosita along.”

The cowboy nodded a bit, looking down. He would love to go as well, but he wasn’t sure he would be able to. Just the thought of going near the city sent his anxiety through the roof. He could feel Paul looking at him and it made him feel a bit guilty. He didn’t want Paul to not go because he wouldn’t. Hell, maybe the gang didn’t roam the streets anymore. So, maybe it was time for him to face his fears and go into the city. He’d never been to a pride convention before. It could be fun.


	11. Ch. 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl decides to go face his fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me...

They spent the rest of the week visiting the other two ranches. Paul helped a pig deliver three piglets, the fourth runt didn’t make it through the night. The vet had held the runt to his chest, cooing softly and rubbing the piglet’s tiny head soothingly as it drew its last breaths. He cried softly as Daryl gently took the dead piglet out of the barn to bury it in a cluster of trees just off the ranch. The vet gave the rest of the piglets a health check just to make sure they were alright before leaving the barn.

He held Paul that night as the man sobbed softly. It was always hard to see a brand new life pass. Paul had never been able to hold his composure when an animal passed away. He fell asleep with his eyes wet and rimmed red, fingers clutching Daryl’s nightshirt tightly. The older rancher kissed his temple. He loved how sensitive Paul was but hated to see the man so sad. He sighed softly and held Paul close and tight, slowly falling to sleep himself.

The next day they returned home by noon. Paul was still a bit upset, but he seemed to be doing better. He was happy they were finally home after nearly a full week away. They spent the first two days catching up on chores and getting the house cleaned since they’d been gone and the others had been barely able to keep up. Maggie had a doctor’s appointment on Thursday, so she and Glenn were gone for the afternoon. She returned with ultrasound pictures of the baby that everyone fawned over. 

Friday evening, Daryl entered their room to see Paul packing an overnight bag for the weekend in Atlanta for the convention. He blinked. He hadn’t been sure if Paul would go, but Paul hadn’t even asked him if he’d wanted to go. Tara and Rosita had told him they were going, so Eric and Aaron had. “Hey, packin fer the convention?” He asked softly, trying to hide the hurt in his voice.

Paul looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah. Sorry, I was going to tell you but we’ve been so busy I haven’t gotten the chance.” He zipped up the duffel bag and turned to Daryl. “... I also figured you weren’t going.”

Daryl bit his bottom lip. He wanted to. He’d always wanted to go to a Pride convention to show just how proud he was to be who he was. They’d always been in the city, though. “Nah… you know what? I’m goin. S’been fifteen years since I been in the city. I ain’t gonna be scared no more. I wanna go t’pride with ya!” 

The vet blinked, a bit taken aback by the cowboy’s outburst. He grinned brightly. “Really?! Daryl, that’s amazing!” He shoved away from the bed and hugged onto the taller man’s shoulders. “I’m so proud of you! Let’s get you a bag packed!” He quickly released the cowboy and started going through Daryl’s clothes, finding something suitable for him to wear at Pride and for a night out on the town. He tossed a pair of torn jeans into the duffel bag after unzipping it, following by a tank top that was almost too small. He went through Daryl’s small amount of jewlery next, putting the necklace into a baggie with his own jewelry that he’d packed.

Daryl smiled. The vet was so excited, chattering on about all the fun they were going to have and that he was going to show Daryl all the amazing things that happened at Pride. He didn’t stop talking until they’d had a shower and were laying down in bed. Daryl held him close, their chests pressed up tight against each other. They were petting each other lovingly, whispering sweet words to each other. They fell asleep clutching each other tightly, small smiles on their faces.

The next morning they got dressed into some comfortable clothes for traveling in and packed their bags into the truck. They would meet Eric and Aaron at the hotel in Atlanta, so it was just them, Tara and Rosita in the truck. Daryl held Paul’s hand tightly as soon as they were driving off his land. Tara and the vet talked very excitedly about the restaurants they would eat at the club they would go to after they finish at the convention. Daryl pulled the truck over just outside of Atlanta and took deep breaths. 

Tara and Rosita got out to give Paul and their boss some privacy. Paul took his seat belt off so he could scoot across the bench and lean in to kiss Daryl’s cheek. “You don’t have to do this, baby,” he whispered. “We can turn around and Tara and Rosita can take the truck. I’ll stay home with you.” He rubbed the older man’s thigh, keeping his voice low and comforting.

Daryl swallowed thickly and shook his head. “No. I-I wanna do this. Just… d’ya think you could drive? I ain’t been to the city in over fifteen years, so I don’t really know my way around.”

Paul chuckled. He didn’t know his way around Atlanta, either. He’d planned on having Rosita give him directions, but if it took a bit off pressure off Daryl’s shoulders, he would do it. “Of course, baby. Do you need anything else?”

“A hot shower when we get t’the hotel.” He unbuckled his seat belt. He waited for Paul to step out of the truck before moving into his seat and pulling the seatbelt back on. He saw Tara and Paul exchange words before they all got back into the truck. 

Paul put the truck into drive and carefully pulled back into traffic. Once they were in city limits, Rosita pulled her phone out and gave him directions to the hotel they would use. Parking was a bit difficult to find, so they had to walk quite a distance to the elevator in the underground parking garage. The vet continued to hold the rancher’s hand tightly as they rode up the elevator. Tara and Rosita got their room keys quickly, but since Daryl was an added guest on Paul’s reservation, the vet ended up paying a bit extra.

Aaron and Eric walked into the lobby just as they were heading to the elevator. They stopped and talked with each other for a moment, agreeing to meet back in the lobby in a couple of hours to go have lunch and maybe do a bit of sightseeing before going to the convention that night. As promised, Daryl and Paul took a hot shower together, the vet giving the rancher a nice handjob to help him relax. After their shower, they laid in bed watching tv. 

They all decided to go out for pasta. The hotel was close to everything so they just walked down the street. It was very warm despite it being late October, so Daryl was glad his jeans were worn and Paul had packed a tank top for him to wear. Paul had pulled his hair back so it was off his nack and out of his face, which he was thankful for as well. The vet had done the same for himself. His neck was long and Daryl grinned as he spotted the hickey on the man’s neck from last night. They walked into the restaurant and had to wait about twenty minutes before being seated. 

The large booth they sat in was along the wall next to a window, so they could see outside in the back garden. They ordered a couple of bottles of wine to share, though Daryl opted for a beer, and some appetizers to snack on while they waited for their meals. As they all chatted and drank their wine and snacked on their fried pickles and breadsticks, Tara noticed a group of men in a corner of the room watching them. She figured they were eyeing her wife, so she wrapped her arm around Rosita’s waist and kissed her cheek. They didn’t seem fazed, but then she realized they were staring at Daryl.

“Hey, Daryl, there’s a group of violent looking men staring at you from the corner behind our booth.” She spoke calmly and normally, not wanting to alarm her boss, but also not wanting to alert the men that she was telling Daryl. 

The cowboy tensed, but Paul took his hand. “Just relax, don’t look at them,” the vet whispered. “They can’t do anything to you in here, especially not around all of us.” He sipped his wine, glancing at the men out of the corner of his eyes. They were all wearing leather jackets and one man, in particular, had a red scarf around his neck. Anyone else would’ve been intimidated, but Paul merely huffed and returned to his conversation with Rosita.

Daryl barely managed to eat his plate of lasagna and salad. Paul ordered him a slice of cheesecake with a strawberry sauce on top of it to try to get the man to eat some more. He was happy when the cowboy scarfed the cheesecake down. Daryl rarely ever turned down anything sweet. At least now he didn’t have to worry about his boyfriend getting drunk too fast. The cowboy paid for their meal, though Aaron insisted on leaving the tip. They got up and left, Paul holding Daryl’s hand tightly as he glanced at the men. He noted they were leaving too, so he hurried everyone out. 

The street was filled to the brim with people walking to and from the convention, visiting shops and restaurants. He hoped they’d lose the men in the crowd, so down the street, he pulled Daryl into some sex shop with the others and led him to the back of the store so they wouldn’t be seen in the windows. After a few minutes, he peeked through the aisles and didn’t see any of them, so he breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Looks like we lost them.” He turned back to Daryl, blinking when he saw his boyfriend’s face beet red. Then, he looked around them and saw the array of dildos, vibrators, and some anal plugs. He chuckled. “They’re just toys, baby.” He leaned in and kissed Daryl’s cheek. “Though I have to admit, these are really good. I especially like the prostate stimulators.” Daryl’s face got impossibly redder. He took the cowboy’s hand and led him around the shop, grabbing a couple of toys to add to his collection. The others met them at the register with their own purchases. 

They left the shop and continued down the street to the convention center. They walked in and were immediately given tiny rainbow flags and directed to the bathrooms, food aisle and a place to store their things until they left for the night. They all walked to the back where there was a row of lockers. They stored their purchases and went to the bathroom. Once they’d all done their business and met up by the lockers. Loud music was playing from speakers on the ceiling. They walked up and down the aisles, trying food and alcohol made from people of varying genders and sexualities. 

Booths also had clothes and artwork, people were doing tattoos and piercings. Paul decided to get a tattoo on his lower back of a very intricate initials DD in a beautiful font. He would never get the name of a boyfriend on his body, but with Daryl, he knew they would be together for years to come. He would never love another man the same way he loved Daryl. His boyfriend was getting an ear pierced and a tattoo on his hand. They’d lost the others, but they all had phones so they’d text if they needed to meet up.

Paul was happy with his new tattoo and tipped the artist generously. It would ache for a bit, but he was alright with that. He waited for his boyfriend to finish and they joined hands again and continued browsing the booths. Daryl ended up buying some artworks and t-shirts he liked. Paul bought some tank tops and some sweets to take home for Daryl later. They met up with the others by the lockers and got their purchases. By the time they finished in the convention, it was dark out. 

They took their purchases to their hotel to put in their rooms so they could continue drinking and dance. When they returned back down to the street, music was playing and people were dancing in the streets. Paul grinned excitedly. This was his favorite part of Pride, the music and dancing in the streets with people drinking and waving glow sticks around. He bought some glow sticks and necklaces from a vendor walking around, putting one around Daryl’s neck and several on his own wrists. 

They all separated again, finding friends and visiting street vendors. Paul found a nice place to dance in. This was his element. He loved the ranch, he loved working with animals and waking at dawn and being asleep by ten at night; but, this was his life. Loud music, drinking, and dancing were how he’d spent his late teens and early twenties before he went to school to get his vet license. He put his hands on his boyfriend’s shoulders and danced against him. His hips swayed and his body moved to the music. 

Daryl blushed as he felt Paul’s body move against his own. He’d never done anything like this before. Sure, he’d been to bars and danced with some drunk floozy Merle pushed on him, but he’d never been this close to them. He’d kept them at a distance. Paul was pressed right up against him. He could feel the warmth through their clothes and see the flush on his lover’s cheeks from the heat of the night and the alcohol they’d been consuming all night. His own hands rest on the other man’s hips, holding him close and feeling how they moved. He smiled and let himself relax. He followed Paul’s lead, moving to the music and dancing with the man. Paul smiled up at him. They kissed lightly, holding each other close as they danced for what must have been hours. 

It must’ve been nearly two in the morning before Paul sent Eric and Tara a drunken message that he and Daryl were retiring to the hotel to get some sleep. He put his phone back in his back pocket and followed the older man through the throng of drunken dancers and grinding bodies. The pride race was slowly moving on down the street, so it was a bit quieter near the hotel. They held hands as they walked down the street to their hotel, Paul stumbling and Daryl giggling as he tried to keep his drunken lover from falling over. 

They passed a dark alley just behind their hotel and a tin can rolled out in front of them. Paul blinked down at it and stared almost stupidly. Daryl tensed. He’d seen this sight one too many times. That was his only warning before he’d been jumped the man times he came into the city before he became too scared. He tried to pull Paul back, but when he turned, four men in leather jackets were walking to them. He looked around, fear gripping his chest and his face turning pale.

They were surrounded. 

Paul seemed to sober up almost immediately. He pulled his arm out of Daryl’s grip and stood straight. “Who are you?” He was still very drunk, but his sole purpose was to protect Daryl. 

The man from the restaurant with the red ascot walked up to them, a barbed wire covered bat on his shoulder. He grinned. “Name’s Negan. I took over for Phillip Blake about seven years ago. His dying wish was to have Daryl Dixon killed.” He nodded toward Daryl. “Merle Dixon owed the gang almost a million dollars in drugs and guns, that’s a debt that needs to be paid.”

“That was over fifteen years ago,” Daryl growled. “Merle’s dead-”

“That don’t fuckin matter,” Negan smirked. “I can’t very well ignore a dying man’s last fuckin wish, now can I? What kinda man would that make me?” He looked around at the twenty men around them. “Boys, tell these two fuckers what kinda man I am? Dwight?” He looked at the tall, lanky man to his right. 

“Negan’s an honorable man, ya’ll. He keeps his word.” Dwight laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“How did you even recognize Daryl?” Paul couldn’t help wondering this. If Blake was dead and most of his men either dead or too old to even recognize the rancher then how did they know who Daryl was? “It’s been fifteen years.”

“At first we weren’t quite sure if it was him,” Negan spoke as he walked around them, swinging the bat around lazily. Paul stepped back, trying to stay out of the bat’s line of fire. “The only clue Blake ever gave me was that Dixie has a tattoo on his chest of his own name. At the restaurant, I thought I recognize him just by lookin at his pretty fuckin face. Without being completely sure it was you, I couldn’t just attack. So, I decided to let you boys enjoy this lovely evening of drinking and dancing. It was only after I saw that tattoo on his chest that I knew it was him.”

Paul felt his chest tighten. It was his fault. He’d wanted Daryl to wear a tank top so he could watch his biceps and shoulders and feel the muscles all night, but because of that, the tattoo on his chest was in full view. He clenched his fists. He wouldn’t let them kill him. “I hate to disappoint you, but the only person who’ll be dying here tonight will be you.”

The man laughed, stopping in front of Paul again, the bat resting on the steel toe of his boot. “You may have a beautiful face, babe, but I’m afraid that’s not enough to stop me from killing your boyfriend.” He puffed his chest out, staring into Paul’s eyes. “You don’t look afraid. I’m not used to that.” He muttered so only Paul could hear.

The vet stared right back, glaring with as much hate and ice he could muster. “I’m not afraid. I have a reason to be brave and fight.”

Negan chuckled. He lifted his hand to snap his fingers, but Paul’s fist met his cheek. The vet’s hand wrapped around the bat just under Negan’s, yanking the bat out of his hand. He kneed the man in the stomach and kicked him away. The men moved in immediately, but Paul was faster. The bat was an extension of himself. He moved with the speed of a leopard and struck with the strength of a bear. His fists and booted feet bruised faces and broke ribs and noses. The barbed wire of the bat lacerated skin and yanked hair out from heads and tore the fabric of the men’s jackets. 

Daryl had never seen Paul move like this before. He’d watched the man train in the gym, but never like this. His boyfriend was going all out. He didn’t even seem to notice when one of the men landed a blow on him. To be honest, it was a bit arousing to see his boyfriend trying so hard to protect him. He felt hands grab him and he immediately fought back. Watching Paul fight inspired him to get over his fear and fight back. He spotted Negan watching from a few feet away, smirking like he knew something they didn’t. 

Only a few men were left standing. They were both sweating and flushed, the exertion made their blood run faster, so the alcohol was already almost out of their systems. Daryl panted as he knocked his last opponent unconscious. He looked over to see how his lover was doing. Paul elbowed Dwight in the stomach and swung the bat into his shoulder. Dwight cried out in pain and stumbled back, taking the bat with him. He looked over at Negan, eyes widening when he saw the man pulling out a Glock 19 Semi-Automatic Pistol. His heart skipped a beat, fear gripping his chest. 

“PAUL!” He ran forward, nearly stumbling over the unconscious bodies littering the sidewalk. He wrapped his arm around Paul’s shoulders. The gun went off twice, both bullets landing in the vet’s side and stomach. The bullets passed through, one landing in the brick wall behind them and the other lodging in Daryl’s side. He grunted in pain, arm holding Paul as they both hit the ground. Daryl’s vision swam. Paul was still, blood seeping through the dark blue material of the henley he was wearing. He could hear sirens in the distance.

He prayed they saved Paul in time.


	12. Ch. 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath

Daryl coughed, the pain in his side was so immense it took his breath away. The weight on his arm was heavy and still. He stared up at the sky and the buildings towering over them. Red and blue lights flashed, making his head ache and his vision spin. Tires squealed as cars came to a stop on the street next to them. He could hear radio chatter, but he couldn’t quite process what was happening. A face suddenly filled his vision, gentle, warm blue eyes meeting his own. A hand covered his wound, pressing down and making his cry out in pain. 

“Hold on, man. Help is on the way.” The man’s voice was gentle. He was wearing a dark brown cap with the sheriff’s badge on it. 

“P-Paul-” Daryl groaned and looked over toward the man he held. Another man was hovering over Paul, hands pressing into the gun shot wounds. 

“He’s breathin, man.” The other man in tan said. “Don’t you worry, I got ‘im.” 

Daryl coughed again, fingers tightening on Paul’s shirt. “Negan… was-was Negan…”

“I know, brother. We got people after him.” The cop with the gentle blue eyes whispered reassurances to him. 

Only a minute later, two ambulances pulled up. Daryl whined when they took Paul away from him and loaded him up into the back of the first ambulance. He was loaded up next in the second ambulance. The last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness was the gentle blue eyes of the cop telling him everything would be fine. He was going to hold the man to that.

 

When Daryl stirred next he was in a hospital room. Tara and Aaron were sitting by his bed, the woman asleep and Aaron playing on his phone. He blinked blearily. He ached all over, but he felt like he was floating. He coughed a bit and looked at his hand where an IV was inserted into his vein and taped to his skin. He followed the IV to a machine next to his bed that was whirring and making soft clicking noises. He heard a movement to his right and tensed, but it was just Aaron getting up and coming over to his bed. 

“Paul-”

“He’s okay,” Aaron whispered and took Daryl’s free hand into his own. “I spoke to his doctor and they gave me an update a few minutes ago. He died on the ambulance on the way to the hospital, but they were able to bring him back and got him into surgery right away. He lost a lot of blood in the OR, but they replenished it. The first bullet hit his appendix and he started bleeding internally, but the second bullet missed his kidney by an inch. He’s down in the ICU now.” The cowboy sighed and relaxed back into his pillow again. He coughed again and groaned. “Need some water?” At the rancher’s nod, Aaron left his side and went out to the nurse’s station. He returned with the nurse and a cup of water. 

“It’s good to see you up, Mr. Dixon.” The nurse smiled sweetly. She reminded Daryl of Beth and he suddenly really missed his ranch. He never should have come. Paul would be safe if he’d just stayed home. The nurse checked his IV and vitals and gave him a dose of pain meds. “Everything looks good, try to get more rest.” She left and Aaron helped Daryl sit up enough to sip on the water from a straw. 

He wanted to go home.

He wasn’t allowed out of bed until the next morning. The day nurse took his catheter out, which was pretty damn embarrassing. No one except Paul had seen his next, but the nurse had a bored look on her face, which was oddly comforting. He was allowed to shower and put on some clothes that Tara and Rosita had brought back from the ranch for him so he felt somewhat better from being home sick. 

“Is Paul awake, yet?” He asked when Aaron came in with Eric after they went to get something to eat. He frowned when they glanced at each other, both looking worried. “He ain’t awake, yet? Why not? I wanna see ‘im!” 

The nurse looked at the four visitors in the room. They all gave her a pleading look, so she found it very hard to say no. “I’ll go get a wheelchair.” She left the room, shutting the door quietly behind herself. 

“Aaron, what’d the doctor say?”

The racer sighed softly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “He said it’s not uncommon for people to not wake up after surgery. Sometimes its the anesthesia, it affects everyone differently, and sometimes it's just the wound. Gunshot wounds are very disastrous. They’ve had people with gunshot wounds could be in a coma for months, and sometimes not wake up at all.”

Daryl felt his heart drop. “.... He might not wake up?” This couldn’t be happening. They hadn’t even made love, yet. They had their whole lives ahead of them. He had so many plans for them. He wanted to marry the beautiful vet. They were supposed to adopt kids and raise a whole family of ranchers. “No… no… he’s gonna wake up… he’s gotta! He has t’wake up!” He couldn’t breathe. His heart was racing. The machine attached to him started beeping rapidly. 

The nurse came back in, abandoning the wheelchair in the doorway. “Mr. Dixon!”

“He-he can’t! He can’t die! He’s gotta-he has t’wake up!” He was going hysterical, screaming and sobbing. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to just lay down and cry. 

It was all his fault.

“Mr. Dixon, calm down!” She grabbed the oxygen mask from the wall and put it to his face, turning it up. “Deep breaths!” She kept her hand on his back, helping him sit up and telling him to take deep breaths. 

Daryl did as she told him and took deep breaths. He could feel his heart rate coming down and heard the machine start to beep slower along with his heart. Eric was tearing up, hugging onto Aaron tightly. Rosita and Tara were holding hands tightly and staring down at the floor. He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. He leaned against the nurse, clutching her scrub top tightly. 

“There you go. We’re gonna take you to see him, okay? This isn’t unusual. Your boyfriend had some severe injuries, so it’s going to take him a while to wake up. This is just his body’s way of healing itself.” Her words were soft and comforting. He didn’t even know her, but he found comfort in her embrace and voice. Her small hand rubbed his back. He closed his eyes, continuing to take deep breaths until she felt it was safe enough to take the mask off. 

He leaned back and watched her put the mask back on the wall and turn the oxygen off. She helped him off the bed and into the wheelchair. He looked at the others, but they decided to stay in the room to give him some alone time with Paul. The nurse wheeled him out of the room, letting the others know she was leaving. Daryl held onto his IV stand as they got on the elevator. The hospital was cold, but Daryl hardly noticed. He was already feeling cold just by the thought of Paul never waking up. The nurse took so many twists and turns, Daryl was already lost. 

They came to a set of double doors which had many signs like visiting hours, no children under 12 allowed and authorized access only. She flashed her badge to the guard and he hit a button to let them in. Beyond the doors was bright and bland. Paul would hate this place, Daryl couldn’t help thinking. There was a painting every few feet, but it did nothing to hide the depression atmosphere of the unit. She wheeled him through another set of double doors. As soon as they were in the unit, heart monitors beeped from every room. Patients were coughing or moaning in pain. It made Daryl naueous. 

She stopped at a nurse’s station and spoke with another nurse. The other nurse pointed down the hall and she thanked the younger woman. She wheeled him on down to a room labeled ICU-15 Rovia. Paul’s room. She carefully pushed the glass door aside, then the blue curtain. The room inside was dim. She wheeled him in, stopping him by the bed. Paul looked almost peaceful, even with the tube down his throat and the IV lines going in and out of his body. He carefully got out of the wheelchair, using the bed to support his weight. 

“I’ll leave you alone for a bit,” the nurse whispered. She put the lock on the wheelchair so if he sat back down it wouldn’t roll away. “Just hit the nurse call light button and I’ll be right in.” She left the room in silence, shutting the curtain and glass door. 

Daryl didn’t acknowledge her. He was staring down at Paul’s face. There were bruises on his cheeks and eyes. They didn’t even have him in a gown, so Daryl could see the bruises on his chest and stomach. There were two gauze wraps covering the bullet wounds. The blanket covered him from the hips down. The cowboy sniffled and carefully climbed into bed. He minded the IV lines and the oxygen tube helping his love breathe as he carefully nuzzled into Paul’s shoulder. He sobbed softly comforted only by the sound of Paul’s heart beating from the monitor.

“I’m so sorry, Paul. This is all my fault. I shoulda jus stayed home. This never would’ve happened if I’d just stayed home. Shoulda turned back around and let you take the girls alone.” He whispered the words, again and again, mumbling to himself until he fell asleep. The nurse woke him up a couple of hours later and said it was time to go back to his room. He argued at first, but then obliged when he realized how sore and tired he was. He let her help him back into the wheelchair after kissing Paul’s temple lovingly. 

For the next week, the day and night nurses let him spend two hours with Paul twice a day. He spoke with the vet's doctor several times, but the man couldn’t give him a straight answer on when Paul might wake up. Paul was healing nicely. He didn’t have an infection and he was breathing on his own. He just wasn’t waking up. The cowboy wanted to punch the man, but he knew Paul wouldn’t want him to do that, so he told the doctor to leave the room. His own wound was healing nicely, so there was no reason for him to stay in the hospital.

He was discharged seven days after he’d been shot. He’d been given a prescription for pain pills and discharge orders to take it easy for at least a month to let the wound heal properly. He was packing up his things when a knock on the door interrupted him. He turned, beckoning the knocker to enter. The same cop that answered the 911 call entered, smiling a bit. Daryl turned to face him completely. This man and his partner were their saviors. He didn't even know the man’s name. He’d been so focused on Paul he’d forgotten.

“Hi there, I’m Sheriff Rick Grimes from King County.” He let the door fall shut behind him and held his hand out for Daryl. “I’ve been meaning to come down here to talk to you, but we’ve been so busy with all the paperwork from arresting the men that attacked you and your boyfriend I haven’t had the chance.”

“Oh-uh… s’fine.” Daryl reached out and shook the cop’s hand. “Listen, thanks… fer that night. If it weren’t fer you ‘n yer partner, Paul would be dead right now.”

Rick shook his head, taking the brown cowboy hat off. “Was just doing my job.”

“... If yer the Sheriff of King County what were you doin in Atlanta City?” Daryl settled on the edge of the bed and motioned to the chair under the counter. 

“My deputy and I were helpin out with the Pride convention doing crowd management and rounds on the streets. S’a good thing we were, too.” He smiled and sat down. “Anyways, I just need a statement from you about that night. I wanted to get it before you went back to your ranch outside of town and I went back to King County.”

“I’m a lil surprised yer still here t’be honest, but sure, I can give ya my statement.”

“I don’t like leavin things unfinished, Mr. Dixon.” Rick pulled out his pen and small notepad from the front pocket of his shirt. “So, tell me what you and your boyfriend were doing at the time of the attack.”

Daryl sighed softly. Just thinking about the attack from Negan and his men made his chest tighten. “We’d just left the Pride rave ‘n were headin back to our hotel. We were just behind it when Negan and his men attacked us.”

“Do you know why they attacked you?” Rick was writing everything Daryl said down, listening intently to every word. One word or phrase could set the tone of the trial if they decided to press charges on the men. 

“... M’brother Merle was a part of their gang fifteen years ago.” HE took a deep breath. He decided it was time to get the authorities involved. If they already had most of the gang in jail, then maybe they could take down Negan. “He stole a million dollars worth of guns and drugs from the gang’s leader, Philip Blake. When Merle died, Blake wanted me t’pay fer it all. I refused, so they continued t’stalk me until I disappeared from the city. I inherited the Dixon Estate from my uncle ‘n have been livin there since. I ain’t been back t’the city in fifteen years. Paul really wanted to come to the city fer Pride ‘n I wanted to face my fears. They spotted us in an Italian restaurant ‘n followed us to Pride. They identified me by the tattoo of my name on my chest. They cornered me ‘n Paul by that alley, but I bet they weren’t expectin Paul t’fight back.”

The Sheriff chuckled and nodded. “He did do quite a number on them. Your lover was very brave for fighting back. He’s a keeper, that one.”

Daryl stared down at his own hands. The knuckles were healing over. “... Yeah. He is. I fully intend to marry him when he wakes up.”

“Well, I’m very sorry this happened to you. Negan was the only one to get away, but we have cops scouring the city and counties for him. He won’t get away with this. We have all of his men on trial.” Rick stood up from the chair and walked up to Daryl. “You were very brave for coming back to the city. You should be proud of facing your fears to make your lover happy.” He put his hand on Daryl’s shoulder. 

The rancher looked up at him. He smiled a bit. “Thank you.”

“Let me know if you need anything.” He reached into the small pocket at the back of his notebook and pulled out a card. “Here’s my number. If there’s anything I can do for you, please, let me know.” He handed the card over and put his hat back on. He gave Daryl one last smile and left the room. 

 

A month later:

Daryl walked into Paul’s hospital room. He hated that he couldn’t bring real flowers into the room, so he’d been decorating it with fake flowers, pictures of their ranch and Paul’s favorite throw blanket from the living room at home. He’d made the two-hour commute from the ranch to the city every day for the last month to visit Paul. The vet was still breathing on his own. His wounds were healed, the bruises faded into light brown marks. He just wasn’t wake up. The doctor’s had done CT scans and they’d shown there was brain activity, so he wasn’t brain dead. 

They didn’t know why he wasn’t waking up.

“Sorry I’m late, baby. Was doin a lil Christmas shopping in the mall with Beth and Rosita, then Maggie had an OB appointment. You should see her belly, it’s so big now.” Daryl smiled as he set the bag in his hand down. “I got ya somethin.” He opened the bag and pulled out a light tan cowboy hat with a dark brown leather strip around the base. “Yer very own cowboy hat fer when you come home to the ranch.” He set it on the counter by the bed. 

He looked down at the vet and swallowed thickly when he saw no movement. He settled on the edge of the bed, taking Paul’s hand into his own. “Everyone misses you. Thunder won’t let me ride ‘im cause he knows ‘m upset about something. Starlight won’t leave her stall. Belle’s hardly eatin ‘n won’t leave the bed. Baby, you gotta wake up. We need you. I need you.” He leaned down, pressing his forehead against Paul’s. “Please, baby. I love you.” When the vet still showed no signs of stirring, Daryl sat up and leaned his elbows on his knees, covering his face with his hands.

The heart rate monitor beeped when Paul’s heart missed a beat, then went back to normal. Daryl looked up at it. It’d never done that before. He felt Paul’s fingers brush against his hip and he looked down at him, breath catching in his throat when his boyfriend’s starlit blue eyes stared back at him weakly and tiredly. He didn’t process it at first. It had become the norm for him to come in, sit on the edge of the bed and talk to the vet for a few hours before visiting hours were over and he was kicked it. Only when Paul spoke did he know it was true.

“Hi, Daryl,” the vet rasped.


	13. Ch. 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything seemed to be fine again...

“Easy now,” Daryl whispered. He had a hold of Paul’s waist gently and his hand, helping him up the steps of the ranch. 

Paul smiled and chuckled softly. “I’m okay, Daryl, I promise.” Truth be told, he felt very weak. It felt good to be home. After the month in the coma, he’d spend another week in the hospital getting his brain scanned every day to make sure there weren’t any lasting effects. He’d also spent that whole week eating a specific diet to try to gain his weight back. 

The dogs were surrounding them, barking and wagging their tails excitedly. Daryl had to nudge them aside with his boot just to keep them from tripping the vet. He kept his arm around Paul’s waist while his free hand opened the screen door and pushed the front door open. He led Paul inside and to their left into the living room. Paul nearly jumped out of his skin when all their friends and family yelled out ‘wecome home.’ There was a sign above the mantle that said ‘welcome home’ and balloons everywhere. Belle was chasing one down the hall by the stairs. Maggie was seated in the rocking chair in the corner, belly bigger than a pumpkin. 

Beth ran over to them, hugging Paul tight, but gentle. She’d help Zeke take over care of the animals while Paul was in the hospital, so she was well on her way to becoming a vet assistant. She kissed his cheek and gave him a picture of the piglets she delivered a few days ago. They all survived, even the runt which she’d been bottle feeding. “I named him Jesus.” She giggled. “He has a brown spot shaped like a cross on his hip.

Paul chuckled, looking the picture over. “They look so healthy and chubby. That’s good.” He was sad he’d missed the delivery. It was almost like they didn’t need him. The thought made his chest ache. “Daryl… I’d like to sit down,” he whispered.

Beth gave him a worried look when he handed the picture back. He leaned on the rancher, walking carefully over to his favorite recliner by the window seat and shakily sat down. Daryl knelt in front of him. “You okay, baby?”

“Yeah, I’m just tired.” The vet chuckled a bit. “I slept for almost a month, but I feel like I haven’t slept in days.” His hands were shaking and his eyes were wet. 

“Paul, we had a very traumatic experience. You died on the ambulance and nearly bled out on the OR table. You were in a coma for a month. If you weren’t tired I’d be scared.” Daryl reached up to rub the tears away with his thumb. “You have every right t’be upset.” He paused, swallowing thickly. “You have every right t’be mad at me.”

“Why would I be mad at you?” Paul furrowed his brows in confusion. He wasn’t mad at Daryl, he was mad at himself. “If anything, you should be mad at me.”

“And that’s our cue to leave.” Tara set her drink down and turned, ushering everyone out of the house and onto the back patio. 

Daryl looked over his shoulder, watching everyone leave except the dogs. It was almost comical seeing them all surrounding the vet and looking up at him with such happiness and adoration int heir eyes. He couldn’t blame them, he felt the same way. If he had a tail it would be wagging just as fast as their’s if not faster. “Paul, Negan and his men never would’ve known you were connected t’me if I’d just stayed home. I never should’ve gone t’the city with ya’ll.” 

What kind of nonsense was the cowboy spewing? Had he had a concussion? Paul shook his head. “No, Daryl… I never should’ve pressured you into going.”

“You didn’t pressure me. I made the choice to go to Pride. I wanted t’be with you. I wanted t’be true t’myself fer once and be proud of who I am.” It was ridiculous that they were arguing over his fault it was that they both nearly died. They looked into each other’s eyes and chuckled, both shaking their hands. “Let’s jus agree that this was all Negan’s fault.”

Paul smiled and nodded, sniffling tearfully. He kissed Daryl sweetly, wanting to savor it since it was probably going to be their last. “... So, when do you want me out?”

The cowboy blinked, leaning back. “What? Out..? Out of where?”

“You guys don’t need me anymore, right? You’ve got Zeke and Bob. Beth’s learning quickly. You don’t need me-”

“I need you.” Daryl didn’t know where any of this was coming from. Just a week ago he was sobbing to Paul’s unconscious body that they needed him. “Paul, I don’t want you anywhere, but here, by my side. I love you, I need you more than anything in my life. Especially now. We need t’be there fer each other. Paul, you nearly died. I almost lost you. I don’t wanna experience anythin like that again.” He leaned up, kissing the vet deeply. His lips quivered, tears streaking down his face. “Please. Please don’t leave me. I can’t-I couldn’t bear it if-”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” He wrapped his arms around the cowboy’s shoulders, pulling his face into his chest. “I’m not going anywhere, Daryl, I promise.” He stroked his fingers through the man’s hair, whispering soft words to calm him down. 

They sat like that for a few minutes before Maggie peeked in from the kitchen side door. “Can we come back in? I’m starving and need to pee.”

The vet chuckled and looked up. “Yeah,” he sniffled “you can all come back in.” The cowboy leaned back. They both sniffled and wiped each other’s faces. “I love you,” Paul whispered and leaned in to kiss the cowboy sweetly.

Daryl smiled and kissed back. “I love you.” He stood up as everyone came back in, Maggie rushing past the kitchen to get to the guest bathroom through Daryl’s office. They all took seats and asked Paul how he was doing and details about that night since Daryl had refused to talk about it. Daryl was settled on the arm of the recliner, his arm resting behind Paul, fingers petting his hair.

“To be honest, I don’t remember much. The doctor said I might suffer from some memory loss.” The vet looked up at Daryl. “The last thing I remember is you yelling my name and your arms wrapping around me, then everything went black.”

Daryl bit his bottom lip. He’d only talked about what happened with Rick and that was to give his statement. “... Was after we left the rave in the street. Paul had texted the others that we were headin back to the hotel. We were behind the hotel when the gang stepped out of the alley ‘n surrounded us. Paul tried t’fight them off.” He paused, looking down at Paul. “... If I hadn’t seen Paul fightin so hard t’protect me, I wouldn’t have fought so hard t’fight myself. I was… terrified… truthfully. Paul was amazin… he took down most of them within a few minutes.” He swallowed thickly. “Then, Negan pulled out a gun. I tried to save Paul, but he still got shot twice.”

Everyone was silent. Paul was staring down at his hands. He didn’t remember any of that. Daryl had told him he’d been shot twice, but he couldn’t remember how. He’d known they were men who were after Daryl, but he couldn’t remember anything other than that. He looked up at Daryl and took his hand. He smiled. They whispered to each other while their family stared at them. Aaron and Eric looked at each other. Tara and Rosita were holding hands tightly. 

“We knew something was wrong when we got to the hotel and you didn’t answer the door or your phones. We went to bed and the next morning we tried your room and phones again. Eric was really starting to freak out. There’d been rumors of a gang going around beating people at the convention and rave. We were just about to call the police when Daryl called us and said you were both at the hospital.” Aaron swallowed thickly. Eric took his hand, giving him an encouraging smile. “I broke down on the way to the hospital. Eric was sweet and drove us cause Rosita was freaking out and Tara was really hung over.”

“We came and saw you once a week, sometimes twice a week if the day wasn’t too busy,” Glenn whispered. “Beth stayed really strong for everyone and took over as the vet to help Zeke. We all thought about you every day. You’re family now, Paul.”

Paul swallowed thickly, holding Daryl’s hand tightly. “... Thank you. You guys have no idea what that means to me to hear that. I-I’ve always wanted a family. I had my grandmother, but she died when I was 16. After that… getting close to people was hard. I’d been hurt many times, so trust came hard to me. After I met you guys and watched you guys at dinner that first night we met… it was so easy to tell how close you all were. Going to Macon and living there was… it was so hard. I hated it. I longed to be back here with all of you.”

They all got up and surrounded him, even the dogs surrounded him. He sobbed as they all hugged and told him how much they cared about him. He smiled. He could feel their love and it filled his chest with warmth. He felt so happy. He felt Daryl lean down and hold him close. He sniffled, clutching Daryl’s hand and Tara’s shirt. It felt so good to finally have a family that he trusted and that cherished him the way he deserved. After everything he’d been through, he deserved this and he was going to do his damnedest to keep them in his life.

Paul wanted to celebrate all night, but by 9 o’clock he was tired and ready to lie down. He bid everyone good night and let Daryl help him up the stairs to their room. His lover undressed him and helped him to the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a lukewarm shower. He was dressed into comfy night clothes and Daryl laid him down in bed. Paul smiled up at him, gently pulling him down into a sweet kiss. 

“Thank you, Daryl,” he whispered. “For everything… you’ve given me a life, a family, love. We haven’t even had sex, yet, but I don’t even care. I love you so much. You mean everything to me.” The cowboy’s cheeks were bright red and he was smiling shyly. “I want you, Daryl.”

Daryl blushed more. He licked his lips. “I don’t wanna hurt you.”

“You won’t, we’ll just go slow.” He could see how nervous the cowboy was. Not only would this be Daryl’s first time, but he was still very weak and tired from being in a coma for a month. After a moment, Daryl climbed into bed and they kissed softly. He felt the cowboy’s hand pet along his jaw and the kiss deepened. He whimpered softly, his own hands petting along the older man’s broad chest. 

Daryl slowly undressed them. When he saw the bandages still covering the bullets wounds on Paul’s side and stomach, he leaned down and very gently nuzzled them. The stitches would come out next week, so he would have to be very gentle not to pull them. They’d seen each other naked before, but the sight of Paul’s smooth skin and beautiful cock always made Daryl want to just worship him all over; now he could. He kissed Paul sweetly, then kissed down his neck. His hands pet up and down Paul’s thighs, feeling the muscles in them and the soft, small hairs. The soft moans and shivers coming from his lover made him moan softly in return. 

He bit and nipped the vet’s nipples, groaning when Paul’s hips twitched. He felt the younger man’s cock brush against his stomach. He was so damn hard. He kissed and licked lower, Paul’s fingers twisted in his hair a tugged when he nipped a sensitive spot above the vet’s right hip bone. He chuckled softly rubbing his stubble over the spot. Paul whined, looking down at him with bright eyes and flushed cheeks. He could feel the younger man’s cock twitching against his shoulder. It was warm and hard. He wanted to feel it in his mouth. 

The cowboy turned his head, nose pressing against the vet’s cock. He took a deep breath, breathing the scent of the younger man in. “Mmn.” He licked up the shaft to the head, tongue flicking the sensitive spot just under the mushroomed head. Paul whined, staring down at him with wide, shocked eyes. A soft plea left his lips as he watched Daryl press a kiss to the tip. Their eyes met as Daryl slowly took the tip between his lips. He tried to mind his teeth, tongue swirling around the head. 

“Fuck, baby,” Paul gasped. His hips twitched and arched, legs spreading wider to accommodate the man between them. As Daryl started bobbing his head, Paul couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore. They fell shut, mouth open to let out moans and pants. He couldn’t keep his hips from moving, rocking into each bob of Daryl’s head. “God, baby… feels so good. Don’t stop.”

Daryl groaned, doubling his efforts to bring Paul as much pleasure as possible. The vet’s moans and sobs of bliss were making his own cock throb with need. He sat up and reached for the lube in the nightstand, pulling it out. He looked down at Paul. “D-D’ya… want a condom?” Paul quickly shook his head, mumbling about wanting to feel the cowboy. 

“I-I’m clean. I promise. I got checked shortly after Alex and I broke up. I suspected he might’ve been cheating on me, so-”

“Shh, it’s okay. I believe you.” Daryl leaned down and kissed him sweetly. He clicked his fingers up. He’d never done this to anyone before, not even himself, but he’d been reading up on anal sex in his spare time, so he had a good idea what to do. He kissed the vet lovingly and slowly, fingers lightly rubbing the man’s hole. 

When Paul felt relaxed and was sighing in bliss he gently pushed his finger in. The vet didn’t tense at all, so he continued moving his finger in and out. A second finger joined the first and both crooked a bit, searching for the younger man’s prostate. Paul gasped, cock leaking precum on his stomach. He whimpered Daryl’s name as his hips rocked into the cowboy’s fingers. Daryl smiled, spreading his fingers as much as he could. The vet sobbed when he pulled his fingers out. Daryl quickly slicked his cock up, rubbing more lube on the younger man’s hole. He leaned down and kissed his lover, pressing his cock at the rim. 

“Ready, baby..?” He whispered. His boyfriend merely sobbed and nodded, begging him to make love to him. 

The older man pushed in, meeting only a tiny bit of resistance before the head popped in. It felt hot in the room, but he knew it was just the heat between their bodies. Paul looked beautiful under him, skin red and sweaty from the pleasure and eyes wet with tears of bliss. He took his time, pushing in slowly until he felt like he’d bottomed out. Paul was breathing heavily, fingers clutching his shoulders to keep him close. He nuzzled their noses together, whispering soft words of love to the man under him.

Paul finally relaxed and moaned softly at the feeling of the man filling him. “I promise I’m not usually such a pillow princess.” The younger man nuzzled into Daryl’s neck. “I just-I can’t move much. My body is tired and sore.”

Daryl had no idea what a pillow princess was. He figured maybe Paul was just feeling bad that he wasn’t being more active in their lovemaking. He merely shook his head. “Shh, baby. Just let me take care of you,” he whispered and started moving his hips slowly. 

Paul’s reaction was immediate. He moaned and sighed softly, hands petting up and down the older man’s back. They stared into each other’s eyes. The moon shone through the windows, shining down on them and bathing them in a soft, cool glow. It made Paul’s eyes shine brighter like he really did have stars in his eyes. Daryl swallowed thickly. He was so beautiful. This wonderful man under him was beautiful and amazing in every way, and he loved such a gruff redneck cowboy. Daryl swore upon his own grave that he would make sure Paul never felt pain or wanted for anything ever again.

An hour later, they were curled up, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Paul felt more relaxed and loved then he had since he could remember. The man had been so gentle and loving. He’d never felt anything like that before. His first time had been painful and drunk. He never believed sex could actually be so good and hot without the use of toys or kinks. He was sore still, but it was the good kind of sore. Daryl’s chest was pressed against his back with his arm around his hips. He fell asleep warm and content to the sound of Daryl’s deep breathing. 

He wasn’t sure what it was that woke him up. Ol Red and Belle were outside barking at the top of their lungs along with the other dogs. The horses were screeching and the pigs were screaming. He opened his eyes and was met with an orange and red glow through the window that faced the barn. He felt Daryl jump out of bed and run to the window. 

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” 

Paul sat up slowly. “Daryl, what is-”

“THE BARN’S ON FIRE! STAY HERE!” The cowboy jerked his jeans on without buttoning them and pulled his boots on. He didn’t bother with a shirt. He raced out of the room, boots thudding on the hardwood floor. 

Paul’s eyes widened. “Wha-” he carefully climbed out of bed, shakily walking to the window. He gasped, seeing everyone except Maggie running outside, followed shortly by Daryl. They’d left all the horses out of the barn since it was such a beautiful night. 

All except for Starlight.


	14. Ch. 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old "friend" returns

“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!” Daryl yelled as he ran up to the others. He stared up at the barn in full blaze. Starlight was screeching inside, banging her hooves into the barn wall and her stall door. How long had it been on fire?

“I don’t know!” Glenn yelled back. “I did a perimeter check before we came in for dinner and everything was fine! What’re we going to do?! Starlight’s inside! The fire is too big for us to handle alone and it’ll take the fire department two hours to get here!”

Daryl’s chest ached and he felt like his heart was being squeezed at the sound of his beloved mare’s terrified screams. “FUCK! GET THE PIGS OUT OF THE PIN!” He turned and ran around the house to get to the shed.

The others jumped into action immediately and ran to the pig pin along the side of the barn. Glenn yanked the gate open and the pigs immediately started running out. One of the piglets almost got trampled, but Beth reached down and picked her up. She cooed as the piglet squealed and wriggled in her arms. Ol Red and Dog came over to lead the pigs into one of the corrals. 

Daryl came back around the corner with an ax. “GLENN! GRAB THE WATER HOSE!” 

Glenn left the others to handle the pigs and ran to the hose and pulled it off the side of the house. He turned it on full blast and followed Daryl to the side of the barn where Starlight’s stall would be. He knew exactly what the cowboy was thinking. He unraveled the hose enough so there weren’t any kinks and started spraying down the side of the barn enough so Daryl could start chopping at the wood. Daryl was having mixed feelings about using wood for the barn now. He was mad at himself because the wood was so flammable but glad because at least he could get his horse out.

The wood had been burned down enough that it was easier to chop into. He was getting soaked from the water hose and Glenn spraying down the barn as much as he could. When the ax became useless, he started using his hands to yank at the boards. His heart was racing. Starlight was still screaming, but it was weaker and less frequent. He couldn’t tell if he was sobbing or if the water was just streaming down his cheeks. He yelled at Starlight when he finally saw her through the hole he made in the barn wall. His hands were burning and dirty from ash. 

Starlight seemed to realize what he was doing and started kicking at the barn wall again. The kicks were weaker but strong enough to help him tear down the wall of the barn. When enough of it was broken down, Daryl backed up and whistled at her. She turned and made her way out, scratching her shoulder on a piece of broken board and nearly stumbling on lower board that had refused to break. Daryl caught her, leading her away from the barn. Glenn gently sprayed her down and let her drink from the hose. 

When Paul saw everyone disperse and Daryl run toward the side of the house he became restless. He turned and made his way to the closet. He pulled on some jeans, falling into the wall when his left leg tried to give out on him. He managed to get the jeans on and pulled one of Daryl’s tank tops on. He sat on the chair in their room to get his shoes on and stood up. He struggled a moment, hating how weak he was. He finally got to his feet and left the bedroom. 

The stairs were a lot more daunting. He took them slowly, holding onto the railing for dear life. Daryl had made it seem so easy, but then he supposed Daryl was practically carrying him up them while also trying to let him do it on his own to gain some of his muscle back. He had to stop about halfway to catch his breath. When he was cleared, he was going to spend all his free time in that damn gym in the basement. There was no way he was going to stay like th-

His right leg gave out and he fell the last few steps, his side with the stitches slamming hard into the floor. He let out a loud cry of pain, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He carefully pushed himself up onto his knees. He hadn’t tripped, he’d slipped. He looked down at where his hands and knees were soaked with something. He sniffed at the licked and nearly gagged. Gasoline? Through the glass of the front doors, he could see the fire off to the left and hear everyone yelling. He couldn’t just stand around and do nothing. He figured Maggie was feeling the same way, but with the baby, she literally couldn’t do anything. He sat up more and saw a shadow in the kitchen in the corner of his eye. 

“Maggie?” He carefully stood up and, using the wall for support, made his way into the kitchen. 

It was dark in the house and the stench of gas was so heavy he had to cover his mouth with his elbow. Other than the light from the fire shining through the walls in the living room, he could see much. His vision adjusted itself and he looked around the room for the pregnant woman. He didn’t see anyone. The air felt heavy and his gut instinct went on alert. He reached for the knife block on the island and pulled out a butcher’s knife. His gut instinct was never wrong. He walked toward the laundry room, hand clutching the knife handle tightly. He heard movement in the room and a bottle tip over and hit the floor followed by a male voice going “shit.”

The voice sounded familiar, but Paul couldn’t quite place it. He peeked into the room slowly, hand reaching for the light switch right by the door. He flicked it on and found a man standing in the corner holding a box of matches of a tin can of gasoline. He instantly recognized the man as the farmhand Daryl had fired and then fought with. He spotted the gasoline and matches and knew that he was the one who set the barn on fire. 

“Simon.” Paul growled. 

Simon merely smirked at him. He sprayed Paul’s down with the last of the gasoline, tossed the can on the floor and reached for the matches. Paul coughed and sputtered. He nearly fell over when he felt Belle run past him, her growling startling both him and Simon. She pounced without hesitation. Her large jaws latched onto Simon’s wrist, crushing his wrist bones. The vengeful man let out a holler of pain as he stumbled and fell under the weight of the massive dog. Paul’s eyes were wide as he watched Belle’s claws and teeth absolutely shred the man. 

The light in the kitchen flicked on and Daryl ran over to him. “Paul? You alright? How’d you get down here?” The cowboy was covered in sweat, water, and ash. “Where’s Belle? She came running in ‘ere like a bat out of-” he froze when he saw the pit bull mastiff shredding someone on the floor of the laundry room. 

“It’s Simon. He burned down the barn and was going to burn down the house with all of us in it,” the vet whispered. Neither of them made a move to stop the dog. The would have to tell the cops when they arrived with the firefighters, but Paul wouldn’t let them take his dog away. “Is Starlight okay?”

“Beth’s lookin her over now. I called Zeke t’come to take a look as well ‘n check the others animals, just in case.” Daryl sniffed the air. “S’that gasoline?” At the vet’s nod, the cowboy looked at him. “Yer covered in it. C’mon, let’s get ya another shower. The others are gonna stay with the animals ‘n wait fer the firefighters.” He led Paul away, pausing when he heard Belle’s claw on the tile floor. “Y’did good, girl.” The cowboy reached down to rub her ears. “G’on outside ‘n have Glenn hose ya down, okay?” The dog whined softly, tail wagging as she went back outside through the doggy door. 

When the firemen arrived, Paul was fresh from another shower and settled on the porch with a blanket around his shoulders to ward off the cold. He hadn’t pulled his stitches when he slipped and fell, but Daryl had checked his wound anyways and given him pain killers. Belle was laying at his feet obediently. He watched Daryl talk to the cops, then lead them inside to show them the trail of gasoline on the floor and Simons’ dead body in the laundry room. Since Simon had died on Daryl’s land and Belle had been protecting Paul, they said there was no reason to take her into their custody. Paul was glad he wouldn’t have to fight them off. He really didn’t have any more energy to spend.

He supposed he could’ve just cried them into submission.

The firefighters took out the last of the fire that Glenn hadn’t been able to get with the hose. Since there was no one to sue for the damages, Daryl would just have to talk to his insurance company. He wasn’t too worried about it. To be honest the barn had been fairly old and would’ve needed renovations eventually. He tried to look on the bright side and saw it as a chance to build a completely new barn. No one was hurt and Starlight would be alright according to Zeke and Beth. They used Paul’s recipe for an herbal salve to take care of the few scrapes and tiny burns she got. 

Overall, Daryl was just glad Paul had managed to get downstairs and found Simon trying to burn down the house. He feared what would’ve happened to Paul and Maggie had the vet merely stayed upstairs like he’d told him to. He tried not to think about it too much. Everyone was alive and well. It would be a busy few days getting the burned down barn destroyed and the land cleaned so he could build the new barn. He looked over at Paul on the porch and smiled. His family was safe and still had a home thanks to Paul.

 

A month later, progress was being made on the new barn. It was mid-November and chilly, so the horses all had blankets on their backs to give them some extra warmth. Paul was done with therapy and moving about on his own. He still wasn’t allowed to lift more than ten pounds, so he had Bob and Zeke doing all the heavy lifting. He still grew tired easily, but he was cleared to work in the gym, so he spent any free time he could to work on regaining his stamina and muscles. 

Negan had been caught trying to escape on a plane to Paris. Airport security had spotted him at baggage and taken him into custody immediately. Rick had been called and he took his Deputy, Shane Walsh, to pick the man up. Daryl and Paul pressed charges on him immediately like they had the rest of the gang. The trial would be long and tedious, but their lawyer, Michonne Grimes, yes the sheriff’s wife, assured them they had a very strong case against the man. Apparently, the street they’d been ambushed on had cameras not only on the back wall of the hotel but on the apartment building across the street from the hotel.

So, there was plenty of footage for them to use, along with the bullet the surgeon had pulled out of Daryl’s side, to put the men behind bars for a long time to come.

Beth decided to take some online classes to prepare for veterinarian school. She ended up taking math and science classes and was very confident she would pass them all. Eric and Aaron were getting along very well and did many double dates with Tara and Rosita, Glenn and Maggie, and Paul and Daryl. They often took trips to the city just to spend the night out as couples going to dinner and dancing. Daryl wasn’t scared anymore, and despite what happened neither was Paul.

It was during one chilly night that Maggie’s water broke on the floor of their favorite Italian restaurant. She’d been feeling cramps all day but figured it was just the baby kicking and moving about trying to get comfortable. When she stood up to go to the ladies room there was a woosh, splash, and collective silence around them. Glenn and Paul both looked down at the floor and their shoes. 

“... And that’s our cue to go to the hospital.” Tara said and lifted her hand to their passing waiter to get the check. “You guys go on ahead. Rosita and I got the check.” Aaron and Eric said they’d head back to the ranch to grab the soon-to-be mother’s overnight bag. 

Paul stood up and took Maggie’s waist and hand. “Come on, sweetie.”

Glenn was still sitting in shock, staring at the water on the floor. Daryl smacked him in the back of the head and told him to get moving. That got the soon-to-be father moving. He shot out of his chair and quickly ran after Paul and Maggie, only to run past them completely and out the door. He would’ve taken off with the truck completely had Daryl not had the keys in his pocket. Paul chuckled at Glenn’s pale face when Maggie let out a cry of pain. He gently loaded her into the truck and got in himself. 

The hospital wasn’t too far away thankfully. She was admitted immediately and checked by a doctor. She was only a four, so it would still be a long while before she delivered. Glenn paced back in forth in the room until Maggie barked at him to sit down. She was in pain, so the man didn’t take it to hurt. He still sat down, though, not wanting to cause his wife any stress. Paul and Daryl remained in the room with them for nearly six hours, only leaving to get coffee or use the restroom and stretch their legs. 

She delivered a healthy baby boy with a head full of dark hair at 5 in the morning. There had been no complications, which Daryl was thankful for. The way things had been going for them since early fall so he’d been scared something would go wrong with Maggie or the baby. They’d all been waiting in the waiting room since four in the morning. When they were finally let in, Glenn put the baby in Daryl’s arms. 

“Guys, meet Hershel Daryl Rhee,” Glenn whispered. He smiled at Daryl. “Your godson.” Daryl’s eyes teared up. He held the tiny baby close, rocking him gently. Paul stood next to the cowboy, looking down at the baby. Everyone else gathered around as well, cooing at the sweet little thing in their boss’ arms. Glenn himself looked very proud. “He’s 6 pounds and 9 ounces, 21 inches, and very healthy.”

Maggie smiled, watching them. She sighed softly. Her life was complete. They were released two days later. They got an uber home so no one would have to pick them up. Maggie was very happy to be at home. It’d been nice in the hospital since the nurses were there 24 hours a day, but she wanted her own bed and delicious food cooked by her sister and Paul. The dogs were waiting for them on the porch and as soon as Glenn pulled the car seat out and walked tot he porch, they were jumping and whining, tails wagging eagerly to see what the man had. 

The new mother whistled at the dogs and they immediately calmed down to let Glenn through. She followed him inside and they walked into the living room where everyone was waiting for them with baby gifts, snacks and drinks. Maggie sank down immediately onto the couch and Glenn set the car seat down on the couch next to her. She cooed and pulled the baby out. Hershel whined but settled once she had him against her chest. 

Ol Red stood from his place in front of the fireplace and trotted up to her. Paul brought her a plate of snacks and a drink. He settled down next to her and smiled as Ol Red sniffed at the baby’s head, then licked the soft, dark hairs making them stand up. The baby boy whimpered, fists clenching and legs stretching out. Maggie chuckled and stroked her son’s hair to get it down again. Ol Red huffed and laid down at her feet. Belle came over to investigate as well, though she pressed her whole face against the boy’s head. When the baby’s fist bopped her in the nose, she jerked back and shook her head. Paul and Maggie laughed as Belle retreated to the bed in front of the fireplace.

Daryl came over and stood behind the couch, looking down at his god son. He smiled, chest feeling warm and full. He looked at Paul, eyes knowing exactly what his lover was thinking. One baby wouldn’t be enough in this family. Rosita and Tara were already talking of adopting or artificial insemination. He may be old, but he wanted a child of his own. Paul looked over his shoulder at him and smiled, eyes bright and hopeful. 

Yes. One baby wasn’t enough for their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm debating if I should retitle the story... my original intention was to focus on the dogs, but clearly, that didn't happen too much. So... I have a few different ideas for titles. Everyone take a vote on which title you like best. 
> 
> A: keep the title Love, Dogs
> 
> B: Puppy Love
> 
> C: Ranches of Love (corny, but Daryl and Paul aren't the only one in a relationship. Beth is dating Zane who works on another ranch, there are Aaron and Eric, Rosita and Tara, Glenn and Maggie...)
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!


End file.
